A female patient at 38 weeks gestation is in active labor and the umbilical cord presents during a contraction. What action should you take?

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Multiple Choice

A female patient at 38 weeks gestation is in active labor and the umbilical cord presents during a contraction. What action should you take?

Relieving umbilical cord compression is the immediate priority when the cord presents in prolapse during labor. Placing the mother in a knee-to-chest position lifts the pelvis and shifts the uterus away from the prolapsed cord, reducing pressure on the cord and improving blood flow to the fetus until delivery can occur. While providing oxygen and preparing for delivery are important, they don’t directly resolve the compression the way this position does. Placing the mother on her left side helps with venous return but doesn’t adequately relieve cord compression, and applying abdominal pressure can worsen the prolapse by pushing the cord further down.

Relieving umbilical cord compression is the immediate priority when the cord presents in prolapse during labor. Placing the mother in a knee-to-chest position lifts the pelvis and shifts the uterus away from the prolapsed cord, reducing pressure on the cord and improving blood flow to the fetus until delivery can occur. While providing oxygen and preparing for delivery are important, they don’t directly resolve the compression the way this position does. Placing the mother on her left side helps with venous return but doesn’t adequately relieve cord compression, and applying abdominal pressure can worsen the prolapse by pushing the cord further down.

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