Urgent obstetric emergency, saving the life of a fetus with umbilical cord prolapse

After timely emergency surgery, a healthy 3.1 kg baby girl was born amid the joy of doctors and nurses. Photo: Hoang Yen

Morning of November 5, 2020,pregnant womenPhan Thi Hao (27 years old, Yen Thanh) enteredNghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, waiting to give birth to her first child, 40 weeks and 2 days pregnant. The patient was closely monitored in the Delivery Room. That same evening, when the mother's cervix was 3 cm dilated, the hospital doctor examined her and discovered a prolapsed umbilical cord.

The umbilical cord is the only thread connecting mother and baby.fetus. This is also the route of nutrition from mother to baby. The umbilical cord of the mother has prolapsed through the cervix into the vagina. If not treated promptly, the umbilical cord will be compressed by the fetal head into the pelvic bone, causing a delay in maternal and fetal circulation, preventing the fetus from exchanging substances with the mother. Oxygen will not be transmitted to the baby, and the baby will be at risk of death in the womb.

Immediately, the examining doctor fixed the fetus's position without compressing the umbilical cord and initiated emergency treatment. Immediately, the hospital's Anesthesia and Neonatal Resuscitation team quickly arrived and took the mother to the emergency operating room to treat the mother and fetus. Just a few minutes after the alarm was raised, the surgery was performed. A healthy 3.1 kg baby girl was born amidst the joy of the doctors and nurses.

On the afternoon of November 9, 2020, the health of mother and child Hao was stable, recovered well and was discharged from the hospital. Photo: Hoang Yen

On the afternoon of November 9, 2020, the health of mother and child Hao was stable, recovered well and was discharged from the hospital. Mother Phan Thi Hao shared: "Now, mother and child are safely discharged from the hospital, my family is happy, grateful and appreciates the efforts of the hospital and doctors very much."

Master. Doctor Tran Canh, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital said: There are many causes of umbilical cord prolapse such as the mother giving birth many times so the fetus is not properly positioned; the mother has a narrow, distorted pelvis; the mother has a placenta previa tumor, accompanied by sudden rupture of membranes....

When the umbilical cord prolapses during labor, the mother shows signs of a lot of amniotic fluid, the cervix is ​​often not fully dilated, the fetus is still high, possibly an abnormal position. Therefore, during pregnancy, pregnant women should have regular check-ups to be monitored and treated promptly./.