[4] The first sign of umbilical cord prolapse is usually a sudden and severe decrease in fetal heart rate that does not immediately resolve.

Umbilical cord prolapse should always be considered a possibility when there is a sudden decrease in fetal heart rate or variable decelerations, particularly after the rupture of membranes.

Occasionally, vaginal delivery will be attempted if clinical judgment determines that is a safer or quicker method.

[12] Other interventions during management of cord prolapse are typically used to decrease the chance of complications while preparations for delivery are being made.

The following maneuvers are among those used in clinical practice: If the mother is far from delivery, funic reduction (manually placing the cord back into the uterine cavity) has been attempted,[14] with successful cases reported.

[15] However, this is not currently recommended by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), as there is insufficient evidence to support this maneuver.

The reduction in mortality for hospital births is likely due to the ready availability of immediate cesarean section.

Many other fetal outcomes have been studied, including Apgar score (a quick assessment of a newborn's health status) at 5 minutes and length of hospitalization after delivery.

A recent study estimates 77% of cord prolapses occur in singleton pregnancies (where there is only one baby).