Final answer:
The ideal position for a patient with a prolapsed umbilical cord is the Trendelenburg position or the knee-chest position to relieve pressure on the cord and prevent fetal hypoxia. The umbilical cord is cut post-birth as the newborn will start breathing independently. The correct answer is option 1) Trendelenburg position.
Step-by-step explanation:
The position of choice for a patient with a prolapsed umbilical cord is the knee-chest position or the Trendelenburg position. These positions help to relieve pressure on the prolapsed cord, which is critical in preventing fetal hypoxia due to compromised blood flow through the cord.
If neither of these positions is possible, a manual lift of the presenting fetal part or a filler (like a rolled towel) placed under the patient’s hips to elevate the pelvis can be used as temporary measures while preparing for emergent delivery.
During the stages of childbirth, the fetus is pushed out of the uterus by contractions of the uterine muscles, and the umbilical cord is cut because, after birth, the newborn will start to breathe on its own, and its circulatory system will adapt to the extra-uterine environment, making the umbilical cord's direct blood supply to the newborn no longer necessary.
The process of clamping and cutting the umbilical cord leads to the collapse of umbilical blood vessels as Wharton's jelly within the cord swells in response to the cooler outside temperature, which, under natural circumstances without medical intervention, would constrict the blood vessels within approximately 20 minutes of birth.