When the umbilical cord becomes wet with urine, gently clean the base of the umbilical cord with mild soap and warm water. Rinse the area and pat it dry. Keep the belly button area dry. You may need to fold the top of the diaper down.
When your baby is born the umbilical cord is cut and there is a stump left. The stump should dry and fall off by the time your baby is 5 to 15 days old. Keep the stump clean with gauze and water only. Sponge bathe the rest of your baby, as well.
Sometimes, instead of completely drying, the cord will form pink scar tissue called a granuloma. The granuloma drains a light-yellowish fluid. This will most often go away in about a week. If it does not, call your baby's provider.
You might notice a yellow, sticky fluid that oozes out. This is normal. It sometimes happens when the cord comes off. It's not pus, and it's not an infection.
Clear drainage from the umbilicus is characteristic of a urachal fistula. Drainage of urine from the umbilicus may suggest bladder outlet obstruction and warrants further investigation. A urachal cyst is usually discovered as a painful mass between the umbilicus and suprapubic area when it becomes infected.
Bacterial infections, fungal infections, and cysts may cause belly button discharge. Belly buttons can become infected if the skin is cracked, overly moist, or pierced. In addition, laparoscopic surgery through the naval may pose a risk for infection. Treatment includes antibiotics, antifungals, or drainage.
Call your baby's healthcare provider if there is: Bleeding from the end of the cord or the area near the skin. Moisture on the cord, an unusual odor, or discharge from it. Swelling or redness of the skin around the navel.
To clean the cord safely, take a cotton swab, cotton square or cotton round and clean around the base of the umbilical cord with clean water. Remember to avoid covering the cord with the diaper, because the cord area should be kept dry and clean at all times.
Comparing the results of the studies included in this review, breast milk is not only effective in shortening the separation time of the umbilical cord over dry cord care but is just as effective in reducing signs of infection as the antimicrobial chlorhexidine.
How often does my newborn need a bath? There's no need to give your newborn baby a bath every day. Three times a week might be enough until your baby becomes more mobile. Bathing your baby too much can dry out your baby's skin.
These studies conclude in aggregate that cord milking significantly improves blood pressure, hematocrit, and hemoglobin levels within the first few days of life and iron stores out to 6 months of age.
The cord is plump and pale yellow in appearance. One of the umbilical arteries is visible protruding from the cut edge. A normal cord has two arteries (small, round vessels with thick walls) and one vein (a wide, thin-walled vessel that usually looks flat after clamping).
The stump of a newborn's umbilical cord is usually yellowish green at birth. As the stump dries out and eventually falls off — usually within two weeks after birth — it'll change to brown to black. In the meantime, keep the stump clean and dry.
The umbilical cord is white at birth, but darkens as it dries. It drops off by itself between the 5th and 21st day. Gently clean around the umbilical cord (the folds) every day until it drops off and the belly button is healed.
World Health Organization advocates for dry umbilical cord care and application of topical antiseptics in situations where hygienic conditions are poor or infection rates are high (3, 6). However the Nigerian government recommends the use of Methylated spirit or chlorhexidine solution for cord care (7, 8).
You can safely tub bathe your baby after birth and before the cord falls off. Your baby may be bathed every two to three days with mild baby bathing products. Bathing often can dry your baby's skin. Spot clean areas such as baby's chin and mouth, neck folds, diaper area and creases of the groin each day.
The cord can't fall off too early. The average cord falls off between 10 and 14 days. Normal range is 7 to 21 days. Even if it falls off before 7 days, you can follow this advice.
The umbilical cord doesn't have nerves so your baby has no feeling in the cord. Your baby doesn't feel pain when the doctor cuts the cord. The cord doesn't hurt your baby as it dries, shrinks and falls off.
These hairs formed a spindle-shaped foreign body that pierced the skin and caused a subcutaneous infection. In this man ner, pilonidal disease of the umbilicus led to the develop ment of umbilical sepsis and discharge.
Bacterial Infection
If you think you have an infection in your belly button, you should call your doctor so that you can have the area cleaned carefully. You may also need prescription antibiotics to kill the bacteria before it spread to other parts of your body.
If deep skin infection occurs, it can lead to cellulitis – a spreading bacterial infection usually caused by staph or strep bacteria. Treatment of navel cellulitis requires oral or IV antibiotics.
Common signs of umbilical cord problems include an irregular fetal heartbeat and decreased or low fetal movement. Umbilical cord problems can be a serious threat to the child's health and should be carefully monitored and treated as necessary.
Pus or a fluid-filled lump on or near the umbilical cord stump. Red skin spreading from around the navel. Abdominal swelling. Cloudy foul-smelling discharge from the infected region.