You are unable to loosen or slip the umbilical cord from around a baby's neck. What should you do?

When an umbilical cord is tightly wrapped around a baby’s neck and you are unable to loosen it, the most appropriate action is to clamp the cord in two places and cut it between the clamps. This method ensures that you can safely separate the baby from the cord without risking severe bleeding for either the mother or the infant.

Clamping the cord creates two sections, which allows for a clean cut while maintaining the integrity of the vascular supply to the baby, preventing compromise to the baby's oxygenation. This method is essential in emergency situations when immediate action needs to be taken and further attempts to manipulate the cord could harm the baby or delay necessary interventions.

Other options, like wrapping the cord with gauze, are not effective in addressing the issue and could lead to further complications. Attempting to remove the cord manually could also pose a risk to both the baby and the mother. Waiting for a doctor to arrive without taking any action would delay essential care. The immediate cutting of the cord after clamping allows for the safest and most effective resolution.