Umbilical cord surgery at the HGPRK (2000-2005)

We undertook a retrospective descriptive study to determine the frequency, risk factors and fetal prognosis of umbilical cord procidence at HPGRK. Over a six-year period, 38 cases were collected from 13412 deliveries. The frequency of this condition was 0.28%. The main risk factors identified were: vicious presentation, prematurity, poverty and twin pregnancies. The lower the fetal weight, the more cephalic the presentation and the longer the delay between delivery and extraction, the worse the fetal prognosis. Caesarean section remains the preferred method of delivery. Particular emphasis should be placed on improving evacuation conditions and the immediate management of cases, in order to reduce the foetal mortality rate.