Novice Parents Must Know: Practical Guide to Umbilical Care

The umbilical cord is the channel through which the fetus is supplied with nutrients and excretes waste by the mother in the mother's body, so it can also be said to be the lifeline of the fetus.

Due to the fact that there are blood vessels below the navel that connect to abdominal blood vessels, once an infection occurs in the navel, it is possible to cause bacterial infections in the abdominal cavity or throughout the body through this pathway. Therefore, popularizing knowledge of umbilical cord care is an important aspect of health care that cannot be ignored.

After the fetus is born, medical staff will tie and cut the umbilical cord, usually leaving a cord about 5-6 centimeters long connected to the navel, and clamp one end with an umbilical cord clip to avoid umbilical cord bleeding. After the umbilical cord is severed, the reserved cord stump gradually dries up and turns black, and then the entire section naturally falls off, taking about 20 days. On average, babies will naturally fall off 1-2 weeks after birth.

The shedding of a normal umbilical cord is a natural process that does not require special treatment. During this period, the only thing that nursing staff and parents need to pay attention to is to keep the navel dry and clean.

How to properly care for the navel

1. Before bathing, observe whether the umbilical cord is red, swollen, oozing blood, oozing fluid, abscess, abnormal odor, etc., and then apply a waterproof umbilical protection patch to prevent infection symptoms caused by water in the umbilical cord during bathing.

2. After bathing, dry the skin, remove the waterproof navel protector, and expose the abdominal skin to the groin.
3. Circular disinfection of the navel. Use a large head iodine swab to apply in a circular motion from the center of the umbilical cord to the skin, covering a circle with a diameter of 5 centimeters centered on the umbilical cord. The cotton head of the big head iodine swab is softer and will not make the baby uncomfortable to operate. After disinfecting the navel, finally disinfect the ligature that has been carried by hand.

4. After the navel is dried, use umbilical cord protector to protect the navel. Align the umbilical cord protector core with the center of the navel wound, then wrap it around with moderate tightness. If it is too loose, it will not provide pressure and cause protrusion, while if it is too tight, it will affect wound recovery.

5. After the baby's diaper is wrapped, the edge should be turned outward, and the height should not exceed the navel to prevent friction and stuffiness.

How to choose suitable umbilical protection products?

When choosing a navel protector, the primary thing to consider is whether the material of the product is soft and comfortable, and whether it will cause irritation to the baby's skin. Secondly, it depends on whether the waterproof and breathable performance of the product is good, and whether it can meet the needs of the baby.

Kanglidai protects the umbilical cord

Pure cotton design, thoughtful care

No borders, no harm to the skin

Kangli Di navel protector, waterproof and breathable, fits the skin well

Non irritating adhesive

High absorption mesh cotton

Suitable for: Infant bathing, swimming training, vaccine injection, wound protection