Introduction: Benckiser's haemorrhage is a severe obstetric complication caused by the rupture of umbilical vessels from velamentous cord insertion. Although it is rare, this complication can be life-threatening for newborns, with a mortality rate ranging from 75% to 100%.

Case report: We report a case of a late preterm newborn who developed hypovolemic shock and hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy requiring urgent and intensive resuscitation, including blood transfusion and therapeutic hypothermia. Postoperatively, a rupture of the umbilical cord vessels was confirmed although there were no signs of membrane rupture. However, he died at four days of age because of multi-organ failure and severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

Conclusion: This case highlights the possibility of umbilical vessels rupture with intact membranes and emphasizes the importance of early recognition of the rupture to perform an urgent cesarean delivery and provide a prompt neonatal resuscitation, which may improve the neonatal outcome.