Most cases of belly button bleeding are natural. Many parents and caregivers may notice a small area of bleeding at the point where the newborn's umbilical cord begins to separate from the body. Sometimes a newborn's diaper or even a piece of clothing may rub against the umbilical cord.
During the healing process, it's typical to see a little blood near the stump. Much like a scab, the cord stump might bleed a little when it falls off. However, contact your baby's health care provider if the umbilical area oozes pus, the surrounding skin becomes red and swollen, or the area develops a pink moist bump.
What to Expect: The bleeding may come back a few times. It should only be a small smear of blood. The bleeding site should heal up by 2 days.
Treat normal umbilical cord bleeding by cleaning the area around the umbilical cord and applying a small amount of pressure to the umbilical stump to slow and stop the bleeding. Ensure that your baby's diaper isn't pressing or rubbing against the umbilical stump to prevent future bleeding episodes.
You should always see your doctor if you have bleeding in or around your bellybutton. You should also see your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms: a foul smelling discharge from your bellybutton, which could indicate an infection. redness, swelling, and warmth around the site of a bellybutton piercing.
To stop a newborn baby's belly button bleeding, hold a piece of clean gauze gently but firmly over the belly button area. A doctor should evaluate any bleeding that does not stop with gentle pressure. Caring for the umbilical cord stump properly can help prevent or reduce belly button bleeding.
You do not want the diaper to cover the cord area as air helps the wound heal and dry, allowing it to fall off. It is important to keep the belly button dry and free from urine and fecal matter.
Belly button bleeding can occur for several reasons, including skin infections, cysts, and primary umbilical endometriosis.
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.
How long will it take for the belly button to heal? After the stump falls off there will be a small wound. It may take between seven days and 10 days for the area to heal completely . You may see a little blood spot on your baby's nappy.
"After the cord falls off, the stump may be moist and have bit of bleeding around the edges," says Gritchen. You can "simply wash with soap and water and pat dry," she adds. After the belly button area is completely healed and dry, you can begin a normal bath rountine for your baby.
Cleaning the belly button
You can use the corner of a washcloth to clean in the belly button, but you don't need to use soap or to scrub too hard. If the belly button still looks like an open wound after the cord falls off, avoid rubbing it until it heals completely.
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.
In most cases, the umbilical cord stump dries up and falls off the newborn within the first few weeks of life. But sometimes an infection can develop. This may cause the area around the cord to swell and become inflamed, red, or tender. There may be cloudy, discolored, or bad-smelling discharge from the cord.
Complications of umbilical hernia surgery
infection of the wound – it may appear red, have a yellow discharge and be painful or swollen. bleeding. rupture of the wound.
In the first few weeks, give 2- to 3-ounce (60- to 90-milliliter) bottles to your newborn. Give more or less depending on your baby's hunger cues. Here's a general look at how much your baby may be eating at different ages: On average, a newborn drinks about 1.5–3 ounces (45–90 milliliters) every 2–3 hours.
Two-week-old babies can: Be expected to sleep a large portion of the day – about 16 - 20 hours. Raise their heads slightly. When your baby is awake, give him or her supervised time on his or her tummy so he or she can develop upper body muscles.
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.
Wherever you talk, you point your belly bottom. So if I talk to you over here, I point my belly button. If I move over here, I point my belly button. That's the belly button rule. You can't let your hands touch each other or any part of your body.
Remember, you do not need to put any creams on the umbilical stump or cover it with a bandage. The best thing you can do is to let it heal on its own. It is also not advisable to use alcoholic wipes on the stump as this can cause irritation to the surrounding skin and delay the healing process.
A diaper should close easily without having to tug and pull at them. Also, consider the rise of the diaper. A properly fitting diaper should come just slightly below your little one's belly button. If it's fitting a little more like a low rise, it's time to move on up!
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.
When your baby's umbilical stump falls off, sometimes there's a small amount of tissue that remains on their skin. This appears as a bump of scar tissue that is pink to red, located on the belly button. The granuloma can leak a yellow or clear fluid that usually goes away after a week.