The umbilical cord is a flexible, tube-like structure that, during your pregnancy, connects the fetus to you. It is the baby’s lifeline to the mother.
Also, it transports nutrients to your baby and it carries away your baby’s waste products. It has a composition of three vessels: two arteries and one vein.
Before or during labour, the umbilical cord can drop towards the dilated cervix into the vagina ahead of your baby. This complication is an umbilical cord prolapse, which affects 0.1 to 0.6 per cent of births.
You need to deal with cord prolapse quickly so the fetus won’t put pressure on the cord, cutting off oxygen. It is a medical emergency that may put your baby at a greater risk of disability or even death.
It is always essential to know what pregnancy complication we might be dealing with so that we can resolve it immediately. We will talk about umbilical cord prolapse, its causes, signs and symptoms, and its prevention.
Table of Contents
What Is an Umbilical Cord Prolapse?
Umbilical cord prolapse is when the umbilical cord suddenly drops (prolapses) between your baby’s presenting part and the cervix into the vagina. It is the abnormal position of the cord in front of the fetus. It causes the fetus to compress the cord, which may result in hypoxemia.
Additionally, it occurs during or before the delivery of the baby. There is an overall report of cord prolapse incidents which have approximately a ratio of 1 to 300 births.
If you experience the prolapse of the umbilical cord while in the hospital, you may likely go into an emergency caesarean delivery. The doctors will do the C-section if you aren’t delivering vaginally already, in an attempt to save your baby’s life.
Types of cord prolapse
The prolapsed umbilical cord can be of two types: the occult and the overt. These two conditions are uncommon.
-
Occult prolapse
In this type of prolapse, the umbilical cord descends alongside the presenting part, but not beyond it.
In occult prolapse, the cord is always compressed by a shoulder or the head. The only clue might be a fetal heart rate pattern (using fetal monitoring) that shows cord compression or progression to hypoxemia.
Changing the pregnant mother’s position can relieve pressure on the cord. However, if the abnormal fetal heart rate pattern prolongs, an emergency cesarean delivery is necessary.
-
Overt prolapse
Meanwhile, in this type of prolapse, the umbilical cord descends past the presenting part and is lower than the pelvis.
Overt prolapse happens with ruptured membranes and is more common with breech presentation or a transverse lie. This may also occur with vertex presentation, specifically if membranes rupture (spontaneously or iatrogenic) before engaging the head.
Treatment of overt prolapse begins with slowly lifting the presenting part and a succession of holding the prolapsed cord. This process may restore blood flow while having an immediate cesarean delivery.
You may do the knee-to-chest position while having a terbutaline 0.25 mg IV once. It will help you in reducing contractions.
- Cord presentation
This just means the presence of the umbilical cord between the presenting part and the cervix. This may happen with or without intact membranes.
While the incidence is relatively low, the mortality rate for babies is high (9.1 per cent). This is solely because cord prolapse happens more frequently in preterm or premature babies, who are often breech and may have congenital defects.
Signs and Symptoms of a Cord Prolapse
Image Source: iStock
Most umbilical cord prolapses may happen shortly after the membranes have ruptured.
In a study reviewed by Healthline.com, there is an estimate of 57 per cent of prolapses occur within 5 minutes after the membranes have ruptured, and 67 per cent occur within 1 hour after rupture.
There are minimal signs and symptoms when your umbilical cord prolapses. Even so, it is important that you know them well.
- When you are at your home – you may feel your umbilical cord in your vagina after your water breaks.
- When you are at the hospital – your doctor or midwife can detect cord prolapse when they check you manually, or if your baby has an abnormal heartbeat.
How is cord prolapse diagnosed?
If you are at the hospital, your doctor can diagnose a prolapsed cord after seeing the cord or feeling it during a vaginal examination.
The second symptom of a prolapsed cord is an abnormality in your baby’s heartbeat rate. Your baby’s body and the birth canal’s wall might have pinched the prolapsed cored in between.
This pinching may result in a lack of oxygen and a heartbeat that changes suddenly and recurrently. In the reported incidence of 67 per cent of cases, the changes in the baby’s heartbeat may be the first sign of an occult cord prolapse type.
An alternative diagnosis might consider the idea of bleeding per vagina or heavily blood-stained liquor with ruptured membranes. This would recommend placental abruption (separation of the placenta from the uterine wall) or vasa praevia (fetal vessels running in fetal membranes next to the cervix’s internal).
Early diagnosis can truly save your baby’s life.
Image from Shutterstock
What Causes a Cord Prolapse
Common causes of umbilical cord prolapse include the following:
- Premature rupture of membranes.
- preterm or premature labour
- Multiple gestation pregnancy (twins, triplets, etc.)
- Polyhydramnios (excessive amniotic fluid)
- Malpresentation or malposition of the fetus (breech position)
How to Prevent Cord Prolapse
Preventing the umbilical cord to prolapse might be impossible. You cannot predict or prevent it. Most of the time, umbilical cord prolapse is an often unexpected medical tight spot.
However, if you are at an increased risk, you may be advised to go to the hospital. Then, immediate action will follow if your waters break or your labour has started.
ALSO READ:
Fetal Development Stages: Your Guide To The Complete Pregnancy Period
What to Do in Case of Cord Prolapse
- Avoid handling the cord to lower the risk of vasospasm.
- Manually raise the presenting part by elevating it off the cord by vaginal examination. Alternatively, if within the community, fill the maternal bladder with 0.5 Liter of normal saline (warmed if applicable) using a urinary catheter and settle an immediate hospital transport.
- Encourage into left lateral position with head down and a pillow under left hip or let them be in a knee-chest position. This position might alleviate pressure off the cord from the presenting part.
- Consider a tocolysis or terbutaline: If delivery is not immediately available this may relax the uterus and stop contractions, relieving pressure off the cord. It might be sufficient to give enough time for location transfer where delivery is possible. This is a specific, useful strategy if there are abnormalities in fetal heartbeat rate while preparing for a C-section.
- Delivery is usually through an emergency Caesarean section
- If fully dilated and vaginal delivery is approaching, encourage pushing or consider an instrumental delivery.
- If at the threshold of viability and extreme prematurity, expectant management should be discussed due to significant maternal morbidity with c-section at this gestation and poor fetal results.
What to Do if Cord “Prolapse” Happens at Home
Image from Shutterstoc
Here at theAsianparent Singapore, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advice or medical treatment. theAsianparent Singapore is not responsible for those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend consulting your doctor for clearer information.