Umbilical cord prolapse in current obstetric practice

To assess the incidence, risk factors and outcomes of umbilical cord prolapse in current obstetric practice.

This study was a retrospective chart review at both a community hospital and a tertiary referral center.

There were 52 cases of cord prolapse in our patient population, for an incidence of 3.0/1,000, similar to that in the literature. Of viable singleton pregnancies with frank prolapse, the rate was 1.6/1,000. In this series we found an approximately 40% higher rate of frank cord prolapse in induced patients at the community hospital than in the general population. Other than 2 fetal deaths related to extreme prematurity, all mothers and infants did well.

The higher incidence of cord prolapse among women with induction of labor in this population merits further study. The lack of significant morbidity and mortality in the study suggests that modern obstetric practices may influenced the natural history of umbilical cord prolapse.