nuchal cord /no̅o̅″kəl/ [Fr, nuque, nape; Gk, chorde] , an abnormal but common condition in which the umbilical cord is wrapped around the neck of the fetus in utero or of the baby as it is being born. It is usually possible to slip the loop or loops of cord gently over the child’s head. Sometimes it is a single loose loop, and the shoulders may deliver through it. If it is tight, it may be clamped in two places and cut with sterile, blunt-tipped scissors. The condition occurs in more than 25% of deliveries, more often with long cords than with short ones.
