May 7, 1973
Dear Mrs. Cawthon:
In reply to your letter of March 22, I'm very sorry to hear about your little girl. Most umbilical cords are three feet or so in length. If longer, the cord quite often is wrapped around a leg or, through the movements of the baby, is tied in a knot.  Usually a true knot, such as your baby had, protects the circulation in the cord from being compressed. I would guess that it also was wound around a leg.
No activity of yours influences the baby at all. It was just very bad luck to lose your baby this way. There is no reason why it should happen again.
Stillbirths actually are somewhat lower than 10 or 20 years ago. They do not seen to be on the increase.
Thank you for writing me.  Do enjoy your next pregnancy.
Sincerely,
Virginia Apgar, M.D., M.P.H.