ARE OBSTETRIC INTERVENTIONS SUCH AS CERVICAL RIPENING, INDUCTION OF LABOR, AMNIOINFUSION, OR AMNIOTOMY ASSOCIATED WITH UMBILICAL-CORD PROLAPSE

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to determine whether intrapartum. obstetric interventions are associated with umbilical cord prolapse. STUDY DESI GN: A computer search identified patients who had intrapartum umbilica l cord prolapse. Thirty-seven cases were identified between 1990 and 1 994 (incidence of 1.85 per 1000). These women were randomly matched to control patients with intact membranes. RESULTS: Patients with umbili cal cord prolapse were delivered earlier (34.8 vs 37.1 weeks, p = 0.05 ). Otherwise, there were no differences between groups regarding the u se of cervical ripening, incidence of labor induction, or the use of a mnioinfusion and amniotomy. Although cervical dilatation and station w ere similar between groups at the time of admission, women with umbili cal cord prolapse did not have as much descent of the presenting part associated with cervical dilatation and progressive labor compared wit h control patients. CONCLUSION: By themselves, obstetric interventions of cervical ripening, labor induction, amnioinfusion, and amniotomy d o not increase the likelihood that a patient will have umbilical cord prolapse.