BackgroundRapid delivery is important in cases of umbilical cord prolapse to prevent hypoxic injury to the fetus/neonate. However, the optimal decision-to-delivery interval remains controversial.ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to investigate the association between the decision-to-delivery interval in women with umbilical cord prolapse, stratified by fetal heart rate pattern at diagnosis, and neonatal outcome.Study designThe database of a tertiary medical center was retrospectively searched for all cases of intrapartum cord prolapse between 2008 and 2021. The cohort was divided into three groups according to findings on the fetal heart tracing at diagnosis: 1) bradycardia; 2) decelerations without bradycardia; and 3) reassuring heart rate. The primary outcome measure was fetal acidosis. The correlation between cord blood indices and decision-to-delivery interval was analyzed using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient.ResultsOf the total 103,917 deliveries performed during the study period, 130 (0.13%) were complicated by intrapartum umbilical cord prolapse. Division by fetal heart tracing yielded 22 women (16.92%) in group 1, 41 (31.53%) in group 2, and 67 (51.53%) in group 3. The median decision-to-delivery interval was 11.0 min (IQR 9.0–15.0); the interval was more than 20 min in 4 cases. The median cord arterial blood pH was 7.28 (IQR 7.24–7.32); pH was less than 7.2 in 4 neonates. There was no correlation of cord arterial pH with decision-to-delivery interval (Spearman’sΡ=  − 0.113;Ρ= 0.368) or with fetal heart rate pattern (Spearman’sΡ= .425;Ρ= .079,Ρ=  − .205;Ρ= .336,Ρ=  − .324;Ρ= .122 for groups 1–3, respectively).ConclusionIntrapartum umbilical cord prolapse is a relatively rare obstetric emergency with an overall favorable neonatal outcome if managed in a timely manner, regardless of the immediately preceding fetal heart rate. In a clinical setting which includes a high obstetric volume and a rapid, protocol-based, response, there is apparently no significant correlation between decision-to-delivery interval and cord arterial cord pH.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12884-023-05788-y.