Did you know that there is a group of pregnant mothers in this world who are afraid of having a baby? They are plagued by the fear of childbirth and need our care and love. What is fear of childbirth? Fear of childbirth (FOC) is a fear of the stress of childbirth, the adverse events of the birth process and the unknown when the mother is facing and experiencing childbirth. Fear of childbirth is a pathological psychology of physical and psychological disorders caused by anxiety during pregnancy and childbirth, usually manifested by symptoms such as insomnia, somatic discomfort, difficulty concentrating, and often the demand for cesarean delivery, leading to difficulties in coping with childbirth, uncontrolled behavior and inability to act during labor [1]. Pregnant women with severe fear of childbirth have an extreme lack of security, low self-evaluation of maternal role, and even active abortion choices [2]. Why is there a fear of having a baby? The factors associated with fear of childbirth can be summarized as “four fears” – fear of pain, fear of the child, fear of self, and fear of health care providers, i.e., fear of painful contractions, concern for the safety of the fetus, lack of self-efficacy, and uncertainty about medical intervention. A study conducted on 570 pregnant women showed that the top three reasons for fear of childbirth were fear of pain (53%), fear for the life of mother and child during delivery (42%), and lack of confidence in childbirth (21%) [3]. I wonder if any of these reasons are the points you are afraid of? Increased rate of fear of childbirth in pregnant mothers! Fear of childbirth is a relatively common psychological problem during pregnancy. a cross-sectional survey conducted by Lukasse et al [4] on 6870 pregnant women in six European countries (Belgium, Iceland, Denmark, Estonia, Norway, and Sweden) showed that the prevalence of severe fear of childbirth (W-DEQ score ≥85) was 11.0%, including 11.4% in primigravida, which was higher than 11.0% in menstruating mothers. The prevalence of fear of childbirth was about 10.5% in a survey of 200 expectant mothers in Beijing in 2015 [5]. Will you be 1/10th of this? Fear of childbirth has a big impact! Fear of childbirth has many adverse effects on the process and outcome of labor, and it has been shown that fear of childbirth can lead to obstructed labor, prolonged labor, the choice of cesarean section without medical indication, and increased need for labor analgesia [6-8]. In a prospective study by Adams et al [8] of 2206 pregnant women in Norway, the mean duration of labor with and without fear of labor was 8.00 h and 6.46 h, the vaginal assisted delivery rate was 17.0% and 10.6%, and the emergency cesarean rate ratio was 10.9% and 6.8%. Severe fear of childbirth increases the risk of maternal postpartum depression, post-traumatic stress syndrome [9], negatively affects postpartum breastfeeding, parent-child bonding, and family member relationship maintenance, and decreases the desire to have another pregnancy and delivery [10]. Fear of childbirth is directly related to the safety of maternal and fetal life and the physical and psychological condition of the mother after delivery, and screening and treatment of fear of childbirth in pregnant women should be taken seriously. What should I do if my fetus has a single umbilical cord? A: In medicine, when there is only one artery in the umbilical cord, it is a single umbilical artery. Most cases can be detected by B-mode ultrasound before delivery. If B-mode ultrasound only detects the factor of single umbilical artery without other structural abnormalities, the prognosis of the newborn is good. If there are also other ultrasound structural abnormalities, the risk of aneuploidy as well as other malformations such as renal hypoplasia, absence of anus, vertebral defects, etc. is increased. Pregnant mothers are advised to have regular maternity checkups, a balanced diet, and active prenatal diagnosis and malformation screening. If there are any abnormalities, you and your family should always consult your obstetrician for advice and recommendations.