With a cotton swab, clean around the umbilical cord every day until the belly button is healed. Don't worry, this doesn't hurt your baby. The umbilical cord is white at birth, but darkens as it dries. It drops off by itself between the 5th and 21st day.
The stump gradually dries and shrivels until it falls off, usually 1 to 2 weeks after birth. It is important that you keep the umbilical cord stump and surrounding skin clean and dry. This basic care helps prevent infection. It may also help the umbilical cord stump to fall off and the navel to heal more quickly.
Keep your baby's healing umbilical cord clean and dry by dipping a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and applying it to the base of the cord two to three times a day. You can lift the cord to make sure you're thoroughly cleaning the base properly.
After the cord stump has fallen off, keep the area clean and dry until the area heals completely. It helps to fold the top of your baby's nappy down so that the belly button is exposed to air.
Signs of an Infected Umbilical Cord Stump
A smelly yellow discharge from the stump area. A reddening of the skin around the stump. Swelling of the navel area. Your baby crying when you touch the stump, indicating it is tender or sore.
The best way to care for an umbilical cord stump is to keep it clean and dry until it falls off on its own. To keep it clean, you don't need to wash it regularly. Instead, you should avoid getting it dirty. Keeping the stump dry is the best way to promote healthy healing and a natural break off.
Wipe the Cord Down
Gently clean around the base of the cord and then the surrounding skin, then hold the stump with a clean absorbent cloth to dry it completely. It is important that the umbilical cord remain clean and dry until it falls off naturally.
After the cord has fallen off, the navel will gradually heal. It's normal for the center to look red at the point of separation. It's not normal if the redness spreads on to the belly. It's normal for the navel to ooze some secretions.
Keep the cord clean and dry until it falls off in 1- 3 weeks. To clean the cord, dip a cotton swab in water, and gently clean the base of the cord. Dry with a clean cotton swab. Since there are no nerve endings in the cord, this does not hurt or sting.
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.
It's best to sponge-bathe your infant until the umbilical cord falls off and is completely healed. After that, you can place your baby in the water, making sure to support the head and neck at all times. Your baby doesn't need a bath every day. Most babies do well with 2 or 3 baths per week.
The WHO recommends clean, dry cord care for all newborns and daily CHX application to the umbilical stump for the first week of life for home births in high neonatal mortality settings (> 30 deaths/1000 live births) [6, 15].
Physician organizations don't typically recommend storing cord blood as a standard. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) doesn't recommend that parents routinely store their infants' umbilical cord blood for future use — unless there's an immediate medical need for that blood to be used for a sibling.
At first, the stump might look shiny and yellow. But as it dries out, it may turn brown or gray or even purplish or blue. It'll shrivel and turn black before it falls off on its own. Usually, it comes off between 10 and 14 days after your baby is born, but can take as long as 21 days.
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.
Some parents bathe their babies daily as part of a bedtime routine or due to regular baby messes, from extra spit-up to diaper blowouts. But for most families, bathing the baby two to three times a week is plenty after the first couple of weeks of life.
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).
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. Do not put your baby in a tub of water until the stump has fallen off.
The application of breastmilk to the cord has been studied as a strategy to prevent cord infection and to speed up the time of cord separation. Breastmilk has bacteria but also bioactive proteins that help fight infection, reduce inflammation, and promote healing.
The American Academy of Pediatrics stated that tub bathing performed before the separation of umbilical cord may leave the umbilical cord wet and predispose infection by delaying its separation; thus, it is required to make sponge bathing until the umbilical cord falls off (14).
You can expect the cord to fall off between 5 and 15 days after your baby is born. Around 2 weeks is the average amount of time, but sometimes the cord may fall off a little earlier or later. This is perfectly normal.
Washing prevents a buildup of dead skin, sweat, and oils that the body produces naturally. Frequent washing also removes germs. Using warm water and mild soap, use a washcloth to gently clean around and just inside the belly button.
By two weeks, your baby might start to recognize their caregiver's face, focusing on it for a few seconds as you smile and play with them. Just remember to stay within their field of vision: it's still around 8-12 inches. This is where all of that up-close-and-personal time with your child pays off.
Unless donated, the placenta, umbilical cord, and stem cells they contain are discarded as medical waste.