Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 81%
Simulated
The nurse is caring for a client in labor experiencing a prolapsed umbilical cord. The nurse anticipates that the fetal heart rate pattern will likely show
Correct answer
B
Rationale
A prolapsed umbilical cord causes variable decelerations (B) due to cord compression, leading to abrupt changes in fetal heart rate. Early decelerations (A) are associated with head compression, late decelerations (C) with placental insufficiency, and normal variability (D) is a reassuring sign.