Midwife Rachel Reed assesses the risks of a common condition which many parents fear.
“Only very occasionally will a nuchal cord prevent the baby descending once the head is born, in which case the midwife can use a ‘somersault’ manoeuvre to free the baby so that the cord can remain intact.19 If this manoeuvre is unsuccessful, the worst case scenario is that the cord snaps as the baby descends, and requires clamping.”
