Newborn umbilical cord bleeding: Why?

Posted by CKII Doctor Pham Do Ngoc Diep - Neonatology Department - Vinmec Times City International Hospital

During fetal period, the umbilical cord provides the fetus with nutrients and oxygen from the mother. When the baby was born, it no longer needed the umbilical cord to provide nutrients, and so the doctors cut the cord. Eventually, the cord dries out and falls off, but there are many cases where the baby's umbilical cord bleeds, leaving parents extremely worried.

The umbilical cord includes:
1 a vein that carries oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood from mother to baby 2 arteries that return blood and waste products, like carbon dioxide, from the baby back to the placenta The blood vessels at The umbilical cord is covered and protected by a sticky substance called Wharton jelly, which is itself covered by a membrane called the amnion. Towards the end of pregnancy, the placenta passes antibodies through the umbilical cord from you to your baby. These provide your baby with immunity from infections for about 3 months after birth. However, it only transmits the antibodies that the mother has.

Immediately after you deliver your baby, the midwife will clamp the newborn's umbilical cord about 3 to 4cm (1.5 to 2 in) from the baby's umbilicus with a plastic clip, placing another clamp at the other end of the cord. , near the placenta. The cord will then be cut between the two clips, leaving a stump about 2 to 3cm (1 to 1.5in) long on your baby's belly. There are no nerves in the umbilical cord, so cutting the umbilical cord is painless for the baby.
Between 5 and 15 days after birth, the stump of the umbilicus dries up, turns black, and falls off. After the stump falls off, it usually takes about 7 to 10 days for the umbilicus to heal completely. If parents notice any umbilical bleeding or discharge from their baby's navel, ask their GP for advice.

3.1 Causes of Newborn Umbilical Bleeding Sometimes an infant's diaper or even a piece of clothing can rub against the umbilical cord. This can irritate and cause umbilical bleeding. Therefore, to prevent newborn umbilical cord bleeding, parents need to:
Keep the umbilical cord area dry Keeping the umbilical cord dry can help the remaining cord dry and fall Let the umbilical cord be exposed to air and keeping the stump dry can help it dry out Change your baby's diaper often, a clean, dry diaper that prevents urine or feces from reaching the umbilical area and can help prevent infection Most newborns with umbilical cord bleeding birth is not worrisome. Bleeding will usually stop or stop with gentle pressure on the navel area with a clean gauze pad. If the bleeding is difficult to stop or if it is still bleeding after about 10 minutes of pressure, you should take the baby to see a neonatologist because it may be a pathology causing the umbilical bleeding.

3.2 Caring for a bleeding newborn's navel Wash hands thoroughly before cleaning the umbilical cord for the baby Use a cotton swab to dry the blood Keep the umbilical cord and surrounding skin clean and dry Do not pick up the plaque on the baby's navel , it will cause the umbilical cord to bleed. Do not cover the umbilical cord too tightly. Avoid using folk remedies without a doctor's prescription to sprinkle on the baby's navel. At Vinmec International General Hospital, most births, Whether it's a natural birth or a cesarean section, doctors not only apply the slow umbilical cord cutting method so that the baby has about 100ml of extra blood, contributing to giving the baby a good start. In particular, the father or mother will be guided by the midwives so that they can directly cut the baby's umbilical cord - the moment when relatives and mothers welcome the baby to be born will become more meaningful and memorable.
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Slow umbilical cord clamp for what? Is delayed umbilical cord cutting beneficial or harmful to the baby? Why should babies have skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth?