True knot of umbilical cord resulting in fetal death; report of a case.

Abstract

The occurrence of true knot of the umbilical cord is not rare; however, for such a knot to be pulled tight enough in utero to cause fetal death is a rare occurrence. Cases resulting in fetal death prior to the onset of labor are believed to be especially rare. Hennessy, 1 in reviewing the literature on this subject in 1944, found a total of 25 reported cases of true knot of the cord, to which he added 7 cases of his own. In 14 of these the knot was tight enough to result in fetal death, and in 10 death occurred prior to the onset of labor. Another case of true knot of the cord in which fetal death occurred prior to the onset of labor is herewith reported. REPORT OF A CASE Mrs. E. H., a 24-year-old white primigravida, was first seen in the prenatal clinic when she was