Our expert, Dr Welma Lubbe, responds:
If there is only 1 artery in the umbilical cord, the baby should be examined carefully by ultrasound to make sure there are no other abnormalities (e.g. heart or kidney abnormalities).If a DETAILED ultrasound examination is normal, the only remaining problem is a small increased risk of growth restriction (i.e. that the baby does not grow well enough). This can be monitored by ultrasound, but equally accurately by means of clinical examination.