What happens to the umbilical vein shortly after birth?

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After birth, placental circulation ends and the fetal vessels remodel. The umbilical vein, which carried oxygenated blood from the placenta to the fetus, collapses and becomes a fibrous cord known as the ligamentum teres hepatis (the round ligament) inside the liver’s falciform ligament. This remodeling reflects the shift from fetal to postnatal circulation, so the vessel ceases to function as a vein rather than enlarging, remaining patent, or turning into another major vessel. The ligamentum teres remains as a remnant, marking where the vein once ran.