What is Umbilical Cord Prolapse?
Umbilical cord prolapse is a condition during the last stages of pregnancy in which the umbilical cord descends into the vagina prematurely-most often after the membranes have ruptured and the baby moves into the birth canal for delivery.
As the baby passes through the vagina during delivery, it puts pressure on the cord, which can decrease or cut off the infant’s blood supply.
Umbilical cord prolapse is a very dangerous condition that can cause stillbirth unless the baby is delivered quickly, usually by cesarean section , after the condition is diagnosed. Other complications include brain damage from lack of oxygen. Most babies delivered quickly through cesarean section don’t suffer from complications caused by this condition.
Umbilical cord prolapse is relatively common, occurring in one in every 300 births.