Umbilical cord prolapse in current obstetric practice

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics
• Perinatology
• Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Background:

• Umbilical cord prolapse (UCP) is a rare but serious obstetric emergency.
• Understanding current incidence, risk factors, and outcomes is crucial for clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the incidence, identify risk factors, and assess outcomes of UCP.
• To investigate the impact of current obstetric practices on UCP outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review conducted at a community hospital and a tertiary referral center.
• Analysis of cases of umbilical cord prolapse within the study population.

Main Results:

• Overall incidence of UCP was 3.0/1,000 births, consistent with existing literature.
• A 40% higher rate of frank UCP was observed in patients undergoing labor induction at the community hospital.
• All mothers and infants experienced good outcomes, with two fetal deaths attributed to extreme prematurity.

Conclusions:

• The elevated incidence of UCP in induced labor patients warrants further investigation.
• Modern obstetric management appears to have positively influenced the natural history of UCP, reducing morbidity and mortality.