How to wash the umbilical cord for a newborn baby?

This is an automatically translated article.

This article is professionally consulted by Master, Resident Doctor Dang Thi Ngoan - Pediatrician - Neonatologist - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Ha Long International Hospital.

The umbilical cord in the newborn is a place prone to infection because there is a cut in the umbilical cord after birth. If a baby's umbilical cord is cut with tools that have not been thoroughly sterilized, or if daily cleaning is not guaranteed, the baby's umbilical cord is at high risk of infection. Besides, abnormalities in the umbilical cord of the newborn can also be a warning sign of some dangerous diseases in the baby.

1. Why do babies need to clean the umbilical cord?

If the navel is not cleaned properly. The infection of the umbilicus is likely to spread to the surrounding tissues, the area around the navel becomes red and inflamed, creating an umbilical halo with a diameter of over 2cm. Children will be at risk of systemic infections with the appearance of some symptoms such as high fever, refusal to breastfeed....
Certain types of bacteria can enter the body through the umbilicus cut, especially The most serious is Clostridium tetani (tetanus bacteria). In the early stages, after tetanus bacteria enter the child's body, the symptoms of the disease are still not clear. However, over a period of time (about 7 days after infection) the disease will appear with a series of signs such as high fever continuously, stop feeding, convulsions, foaming at the mouth... threaten the child's life.
Therefore, cleaning the umbilical cord for babies is very important. Mothers also need to pay attention to properly clean the umbilical cord for the baby to avoid infection and bring comfort to the baby.

2. What should wash the umbilical cord for babies with?

For babies without umbilical cord infection, the umbilicus should be normal, the umbilical cord should be left open, the umbilical cord is not needed, the diaper should be low below the navel. No need to apply anything to the baby's navel, after bathing, just dry the navel area by using a clean gauze to blot dry and let the navel fall off naturally,
For newborns with umbilical cord infection, it is recommended to use physiological saline to clean the infected navel. Besides, you use Milian or Eosin solution to apply to the baby's navel about 4 times a day.
Do not clean the umbilical cord of an infant with povidine.

3. The process of cleaning the umbilical cord for babies

Newborn umbilical cord infection is an extremely dangerous disease, which can directly threaten the baby's life. Therefore, newborn babies need to be cleaned of the umbilical cord every day. The following are the necessary steps to clean the baby's navel, including:
Step 1: After bathing the baby, it is necessary to prepare the necessary tools to clean the baby's navel, including: cotton swabs, can Use the umbilical cord cleaning solution prescribed by the doctor or use medical alcohol 70 degrees or 0.9% physiological saline. Before cleaning the baby's navel, the mother needs to wash her hands thoroughly Step 2: Use cotton or gauze to dry the baby's navel area Step 3: Use a cotton bath or clean cotton pad soaked in umbilical cleaning solution Step 4: Use a cotton swab impregnated with umbilical cord cleaning solution, wipe gently from front to back of the umbilical cord, because the membrane is still attached to the umbilical stump, so it should be done slowly. Note: need to hold the cord of the umbilical cord when cleaning the umbilical cord. Step 5: Use a cotton swab to wipe the base of the navel to the skin around the navel. When performing this step, mothers should clean in one direction, not wiping again and again. Step 6: The baby's navel needs to be completely dry after being cleaned. Do not use talcum powder or any other medicine applied to the navel of an infant. Wear clean clothes to cover your baby's navel.

For babies with umbilical cord infections, 90 degrees of alcohol should be used to clean the baby. If the baby's navel shows some of the following symptoms, it is necessary to immediately take the child to a specialized medical facility for timely treatment, including:
The baby's navel has a bad smell, yellow oozes or even oozes. umbilical cord blood The appearance of a fleshy bud in the umbilicus umbilical cord oozing red and swollen skin around the umbilicus After 3 weeks the umbilicus has not fallen off The umbilical cord has fluid and pus in most babies after about 7-10 days After birth and after about 15 days, the umbilical cord part will completely heal. When the baby's navel has not yet healed, this is a very vulnerable location for pathogenic bacteria, causing local infections or even spreading to the areas around the navel. If the umbilical cord infection in the newborn is not detected and treated promptly, the baby is at high risk of death. Therefore, parents need to clean the baby's umbilical cord regularly and properly, if any abnormal signs are detected, they should immediately take the child to a specialized medical facility for timely treatment.
Doctor Dang Thi Ngoan used to be a lecturer in the Department of Pediatrics - Hai Phong University of Medicine and Pharmacy. Having been granted certificates in Pediatrics at home and abroad such as: Westmead Hospital, Australia; Hai Phong Medical University. Currently, Doctor Ngoan is a pediatrician - neonatologist at the Department of Neonatology at Vinmec Ha Long International General Hospital.
Registering for examination for children when there are abnormal signs, please contact directly to Vinmec Health System nationwide or make an appointment HERE.
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