Guidelines for neonatal umbilical cord care

How to care for a baby's umbilical cord, novice parents should not panic. After reading this article, you will understand the mystery behind it

”Three days after the baby was born and discharged from the hospital, I only discovered that there was a small wound on the baby's belly button

”How to take care of it? “

”Do you need disinfection? “

”Why has the baby's belly button turned black? “

Before the umbilical cord falls off in newborns, the umbilical area is very easy to become a natural breeding ground for bacteria, because there is a rupture of the umbilical blood vessel after umbilical cord ligation. If not properly cared for, bacteria and their toxins can easily enter the bloodstream through the rupture, causing bacteremia

So how should a baby's belly button be taken care of?

1. Parents must observe closely every day

Pay attention to whether there is any odor, granulomas, or redness of the navel. If there is a small amount of yellow or bloody secretion in the navel, it is a normal phenomenon. Some babies may also have a protrusion in the navel due to excessive crying. So it is necessary to observe more frequently every day, especially the characteristics of umbilical secretions. The umbilical cord will dry and fall off in about 7 to 10 days, and at the latest, it will fall off after two weeks. If any adverse conditions occur, seek medical attention in a timely manner.

2. Pay attention to wound disinfection

Gently apply baby specific disinfectant iodine to the umbilical cord every day, paying attention to even application. The inner and outer parts of the umbilical fossa, as well as the umbilical cord ligature, need to be applied, and the application range can be expanded to a radius of 3-5cm around the umbilical cord.

After disinfection, gently wrap the umbilical cord around the baby's belly button. The umbilical cord protector can absorb umbilical cord exudate to keep the umbilical cord dry, prevent friction, isolate some contamination, protect the belly button from getting cold, and has many benefits.

Attention: Before disinfecting the baby's umbilical cord, parents must wash their hands and disinfect them first.

3. Strictly prevent the umbilical cord from getting wet before it falls off

If the navel wound accidentally gets wet, it can easily cause bacterial infection, inflammation, and various diseases. It is recommended to prepare some baby specific waterproof umbilical protection patches at home,

For example, when bathing or taking a baby swimming, it can be applied to the baby's belly button to prevent it from getting wet. When changing diapers, it can also prevent urine from contaminating the wound. It can also be used to protect the baby's injection hole during vaccination, all of which are very effective.

Attention: If accidentally touched with water, you can use a clean cotton swab to dry the water from the belly button, and then disinfect it with iodine once to keep the baby's belly button clean and dry.

4. Natural detachment, do not artificially pull or tug

Most babies' umbilical cords will dry and fall off on their own within 7 to 10 days, and will also fall off on their own after at least two weeks of care. If the umbilical cord does not fall off after 8 weeks, it is necessary to seek medical attention in a timely manner. Before that, the wound may not have fully healed. If parents pull on the baby's umbilical cord artificially, it may cause the baby's navel to be pulled out of a larger wound, making it more difficult to heal as soon as possible.

5. Seek medical attention promptly

If a baby experiences fever, belly button bleeding, redness and swelling, foul odor, purulent discharge, or cries in pain when touching the skin around the umbilical cord, be alert to the possibility of infection and seek medical attention promptly.

Overall, a dry and clean environment around the navel is an important factor in helping babies recover from the condition. Once the navel becomes moist, 

It is easy to cause bacterial infections which can result in navel inflammation. Therefore, maintaining dryness is the primary element of umbilical cord care during the nursing process.If there are any adverse reactions, parents must seek medical attention promptly and follow the doctor's advice.