Based on a study published in the Journal of Maternal, Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, umbilical cord prolapse requires prompt delivery of the fetus to reduce possible negative outcomes. The research was completed by authors at Tel Aviv University.
The study was completed as a retrospective cohort. More than 33,000 delivers performed at a single hospital were used as data. Interventions during labor and pregnancy outcome (short-term) were also collected from medical files. Umbilical cord prolapse was reported in 0.11% of births (37). Sixty-two percent of the cases were not diagnosed until after membranes were ruptured artificially. Researchers used umbilical cord pH and 5-minute Apgar score to determine pregnancy outcome.
Apgar scores in the group delivered via artificial membrane rupture were higher than women left to deliver after spontaneous membrane rupture. Researchers found no difference in umbilical cord pH. Based on Apgar testing, artificial rupture of membranes lead to prompt delivery and reduced impact on the fetus.
Source: Gabbay-Benziv R, Maman M, Wiznitzer A, Linder N, Yogev Y. Umbilical cord prolapse during delivery - Risk factors and pregnancy outcome: A single center experience. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2013 Apr 25.