Umbilical cord from the offspring. The cord along with the placenta is often eaten by the mother, to provide nourishment and to dispose of tissues that would otherwise attract scavengers or predators. In chimpanzees, the mother leaves the cord in place and nurses her young with the cord and placenta attached until the cord dries out and separates naturally, within a day of birth, at which time the cord is discarded. (This was first documented by zoologists in the wild in 1974.) Some species of shark — hammerheads, requiems and smooth-hounds — are viviparous and have an umbilical cord attached to their
Umbilical cord prolapse should be suspected if there is a sudden decrease in the babies heart rate during labor. Seeing or feeling the cord confirms the diagnosis. Management focuses on quick delivery, usually by cesarean section. Filling the bladder or pushing up the baby by hand is recommended until this can take place. The knee-chest position, or if this is not possible Trendelenburg position may be used. With appropriate management, the majority of cases have good outcomes. Umbilical cord prolapse occurs in about 1 in 500 pregnancies. The risk of death of the baby is about 10%. Much of this risk is due