You can expect your baby’s cord to fall off within a few weeks. Till such time that the cord falls off, it will take some time to heal. While healing, it will be dry, hard, brownish black from being yellow in colour, and smelly, indicating signs of infection. The cord may even have a little blood near the stump.
Continue reading this article to find out how you can take care of the umbilical cord stump.
Tips to Take Care of the Cord Stump
Follow these tips to take care of the cord stump to keep the cord stump clean and dry:
Keep the Stump Dry
Clean the stump, when you are changing the diaper or giving a bath to your baby. Generally, healthcare professionals advise you to out the “dry cord care” method, in which you must dab alcohol on the stump. You can alternatively clean the pus with a cotton swab or wet cloth. And, once that is done, apply ointment to the clean area.
Keep the Irritation Away
If the cord stump has signs of infection as they have been mentioned above, your healthcare professional may suggest you the “dry cord care” method. In this method, you can keep your cord exposed to the air. As a result of which, the base of the cord will dry up quickly. You might alternately use diapers of unique design or keep the diaper folded to keep the infection from getting worse.
Give a Sponge Bath to Your Baby
Your healthcare professional may not advise you to give a bath to your baby till such time that the cord stump falls off. Even if you do so, you might have to keep the region covered so that it remains dry. Adding on to this, try not to wipe the area. Only sponge bath the baby. Otherwise, the cord area may be full of irritation.
Check For Stump Infections
Just as they have been mentioned above, clean the pus, or droplets of blood with a dry or wet cloth. However, go to your child’s doctor, if you notice a few drops of blood on the stump and signs of fever in your child.
Try Not to Pick or Pull the Stump
Let the cord fall off naturally. Don’t pull or pick the cord to cause further damage.
Try Not to Cover the Umbilical Cord Stump Area Even With a Coin
Covering the navel area of your baby with a coin wouldn’t be of much help. It may not just change the shape of the stump of the belly button, but who knows it may also cause further damage like umbilical hernia and umbilical granuloma.
The umbilical cord played an important role in delivering, all-essential nutrients and oxygen, during pregnancy to help the baby grow inside. Immediately, after your baby is born, the healthcare professional clamps and cuts the cord a few inches to separate you from your baby. After the healthcare expert removes the clamp, all that will remain is the little stump. Feel free to bathe your baby once the stump falls off.
