Fetal survival after umbilical cord prolapse for more than three days. A case report

BACKGROUND: Umbilical cord prolapse is an uncommon obstetric emergency. CASE: A 28-year-old woman, gravida 1, para 0, presented at 23 2/7 weeks' gestation with vaginal leakage of fluid. She was diagnosed with umbilical cord prolapse. Due to the fetus's extreme prematurity, she was managed expectantly. On hospital day 4, we documented severe variable decelerations. After extensive counseling, the patient and her husband decided to deliver by cesarean section. The infant, a 505-g female, spent 54 days in the neonatal intensive care unit. At the eight-month follow-up examination, she was neurologically intact, with no long-term complications secondary to the prolapsed cord. CONCLUSION: To the authors' knowledge, this case entailed the longest reported interval from diagnosis of umbilical cord prolapse to delivery.