How to take care of the umbilical cord for babies

The article was professionally consulted by MSc Ma Van Tham - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology, Vinmec Phu Quoc International General Hospital. He was a former lecturer in the Department of Pediatrics, Thai Nguyen University of Medicine and Pharmacy, and a doctor in the Department of Emergency and Neonatal Resuscitation at Thai Nguyen Central Hospital. Uncle has strengths in the field of Internal Medicine: Respiratory, Digestive, Nutrition, Neonatal First Aid.

The process of shedding the umbilical cord in a newborn baby long or slow depends on the location, health as well as hygiene. Clean umbilical cord care immediately after birth and in the first few days after birth is effective in preventing umbilical cord infections.

Cleaning the baby's navel After birth, the umbilical cord will be clamped to keep the umbilical cord clean. If the umbilical cord clamp is open or falls off, you must pay attention to cleaning the baby's umbilical cord area at least once a day. Using a soft cloth, gently wipe the baby's navel area.
Be careful when bathing your baby Many people think that you should only wipe your body, not bathe your baby until the umbilical cord falls off. However, there's no harm in bathing your baby, as long as you keep the umbilical cord dry and avoid touching water.
If the umbilical cord is wet, dry it with a soft towel. Sometimes, your baby's umbilical cord can get dirty if he has a bowel movement. Please gently clean with water, clean with physiological saline and dry.

Be careful when dressing your baby The navel is the part that you have to pay the most attention to, but it also gives you many difficulties when dressing your baby.
Wrap the diaper below the navel, keeping the umbilical cord dry. When exposed to air, the umbilical cord will dry quickly.
Pay attention to the navel area when wearing clothes and keep the navel area open as much as possible.
Let the umbilical cord fall off naturally If it's been a while and the umbilical cord hasn't fallen off, don't worry too much. Sometimes, the umbilical cord will fall off quite late. In this case, you are still waiting for the umbilical cord to fall off naturally rather than acting on it. If at the umbilical cord site there are abnormal signs such as bleeding, yellow discharge, take your baby to see a doctor for examination and proper advice.
After the umbilical cord falls off, you will see the baby's umbilical cord. Occasionally, the navel may become red and may even bleed. You should not be too worried, this is completely normal and the navel should heal within 2 weeks.
Diapers must be folded below the navel. Regular gauze or diapers should not be used to bandage the umbilical cord for the baby because the umbilical cord dressing, if not used with sterile products, will create a breeding ground for bacteria and prevent healing. navel due to long-drying navel, especially in the hot and humid weather of our country.
Avoid touching the umbilical cord, apply unclean herbal substances to the umbilical cord. Herbal substances are often contaminated with many fungal and bacterial spores that increase the risk of umbilical cord infections.

The umbilical cords usually separate within a week or two. It's normal for Mom to see a patch of dry, red skin on the umbilical cord.
Sometimes a small amount of dark blood may come out – don't worry it's normal. But if the bleeding persists for more than two weeks, you should consult your doctor right away.
What should I do with the umbilical cord after it falls off? It is entirely up to the mother to keep or dispose of the umbilical cord. But if you want to keep it as a keepsake, you can choose from one of the following options:
Make a sparkly bracelet: Some local jewelers or online stores, like Keepsake by Ry, have You can make sparkly bracelets out of this fallen umbilical cord. Keeping in a red package as a keepsake or widely believed to be a blessing.

If the umbilical cord is not carefully cared for, it will easily become infected. If you find your baby has the following symptoms, take your baby to the hospital right away:
Baby has a fever The umbilical cord has a foul odor or the umbilicus is oozing pus The skin around the navel is red and tender The baby cries when you lightly touch the umbilicus swelling and bleeding Besides taking care of the baby's umbilical cord condition, at the stage of 0-1 month old mother should take care of the baby carefully because the baby is susceptible to many diseases due to the immature immune system. This is also the golden period to carry out tests and screenings to detect dangerous diseases. To protect the baby's health, right after birth, parents need to:
Echocardiography after birth early, detect congenital heart even if there are no heart abnormalities during pregnancy. Performing postpartum screening helps to detect dangerous diseases such as congenital hypothyroidism, G6PD enzyme deficiency, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, congenital hearing loss. Vinmec is currently one of the few hospitals that perform echocardiography for newborn babies, has a team of doctors specializing in echocardiography and treating cardiovascular diseases in children, helping to detect congenital heart diseases accurately. , timely intervention treatment. In addition, Vinmec provides a full range of postpartum screening services such as: Heel blood collection, Venous blood test to detect early, accurately 3 dangerous diseases in newborns only when the baby is 3-7 years old. day old. When detecting any health problems of the baby, the team of doctors at Vinmec will advise on the treatment direction with a full range of specialized specialties, helping the baby get the best treatment.
If you have a need for medical examination at Vimec Health System nationwide, please make an appointment on the website to be served.