Nuchal Cord – if there is more than one loop, what action should be taken?

Nuchal Cord – if there is more than one loop, what action should be taken?

• A. Clamp and cut the cord
• B. Gently hook your finger under the loop and pull it over the newborn’s head
• C. Keep the loop in place and await hospital care
• D. Immediately perform cesarean section

Answer: (B)

Relieving constriction by sliding the loop over the baby’s head is the best course because it frees the airway and maintains blood flow through the umbilical cord without severing the connection before delivery. Gently hooking a finger under the loop and guiding it over the newborn’s head reduces neck compression and minimizes the risk of hypoxia, making delivery safer for both baby and mother. Clamping and cutting the cord would interrupt placental blood flow before the baby is fully delivered, which isn’t appropriate when there’s still a loop around the neck. Keeping the loop in place and awaiting hospital care could leave the baby under ongoing constriction. An emergency cesarean section is not the immediate action for a non-prolonged vaginal birth with a nuchal cord.

Relieving constriction by sliding the loop over the baby’s head is the best course because it frees the airway and maintains blood flow through the umbilical cord without severing the connection before delivery. Gently hooking a finger under the loop and guiding it over the newborn’s head reduces neck compression and minimizes the risk of hypoxia, making delivery safer for both baby and mother.

Clamping and cutting the cord would interrupt placental blood flow before the baby is fully delivered, which isn’t appropriate when there’s still a loop around the neck. Keeping the loop in place and awaiting hospital care could leave the baby under ongoing constriction. An emergency cesarean section is not the immediate action for a non-prolonged vaginal birth with a nuchal cord.