Umbilical cord prolapse is a dangerous medical emergency during the delivery of a child that needs to be detected and addressed by health care staff right away. When medical providers fail to recognize known risk factors of umbilical cord prolapse, inadequately monitor for signs of fetal distress or delay the ordering of an emergency C-section, serious harm can occur.
What Does Umbilical Cord Prolapse Mean?
Umbilical cord prolapse is a type of birth complication that may arise naturally during the birth and delivery process. It describes the umbilical cord slipping into the birth canal ahead of the baby. As the baby moves through the birth canal, its body can press against the umbilical cord, placing pressure against the cord that cuts off the flow of oxygen-rich blood from the placenta.
Potential Risks of Umbilical Cord Prolapse
Umbilical cord prolapse is a serious medical emergency because there is only a small window of time – usually just a few minutes – before the infant is at risk of suffering brain damage due to the lack of oxygen.
The failure of a health care provider to notice the signs of prolapse and immediately order an emergency C-section (or other remedies) could cause serious birth injuries, such as:
- Brain hypoxia (lack of oxygen reaching the brain)
- Birth asphyxia
- Ischemia (lack of blood flow)
- Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy
- Brain damage
- Cerebral palsy
- Developmental delays
- Infant stillbirth
If a reasonably prudent medical provider would have done something differently to address the umbilical cord prolapse earlier and prevent harm to the child, the defendant or accused party is guilty of medical malpractice. This can lead to a lawsuit against the provider.
How Should a Medical Team Handle Umbilical Cord Prolapse?
If the umbilical cord slips through the cervix first before the baby, this creates a high risk of cord compression that could be fatal for the infant. This birthing complication requires immediate detection and fast emergency intervention, typically in the form of a rapid C-section.
The appropriate response to this birthing complication is for a health care provider to recognize the signs of umbilical cord prolapse as soon as possible through proper monitoring of fetal heart rate, then communicating clearly and swiftly to the rest of the medical team to come up with a prompt course of action.
The presiding physician should set in motion immediate emergency intervention, such as changing the position of the mother, stopping any intravenous drip of Pitocin that may have been administered to induce or advance labor, or calling for an emergency C-section without delay.
When a Health Care Provider Can Be Held Responsible
A delay in action by a health care team or individual provider even by a few minutes could cause significant harm to the infant in a case of umbilical cord prolapse. If this type of negligence occurs, the family may have grounds to file a birth injury lawsuit against the medical provider in pursuit of justice and financial compensation.
At Goldenberg Lauricella, PLLC, our Minneapolis birth injury lawyers excel at proving cases against physicians and OBGYNs for failing to take the correct steps to address medical emergencies that may arise during the birthing process. If your infant suffered an injury or died in a case of umbilical cord prolapse and you suspect medical negligence, contact us for a free and confidential case review. We will be with you and your family every step of the way.