Umbilical Cord Care

Hospitals around the world may recommend a variety of treatments to keep the baby’s stump free from infection. Some of the common agents used include: isopropyl alcohol, triple dye, betadine, salicylic sugar powder, micronized green clay powder, colloid silver-benzyl-peroxide powder, neomycin-bacitracin powder or silver sulfadiazine. However, there is little data that shows conclusively that any of these treatments is substantially superior to the others or even necessary in a healthy baby. In some countries, where such treatments aren’t available, mothers often use a few drops of their own milk to prevent infection. A study in Ankara, Turkey showed this practice to be equally as effective as using betadine.

My preference is to minimize exposure to all chemicals, antibiotics and other healing agents like golden seal unless there is a real need for their use. A study by Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation in Ontario, Canada in 1998 found that stumps that were left to dry on their own actually fell off two days faster than those cleaned with alcohol twice daily. Not a single baby among the 1800 newborns in the study developed an infection, with or without the alcohol. In fact, there are some studies that show that alcohol actually prolongs cord separation time and may produce allergic reactions in some babies.

The main fact that everyone seems to agrees upon is to keep the cord stump clean and dry. Babies should be sponge bathed and not submerged in water until the stump has fallen off. Avoid tucking the stump inside the diaper and give it time to air dry after a sponge bath. It generally takes between 10 and 15 days for the stump to fall off on it’s own, but each baby is different. Just be careful not to pull on the stump, even when it looks like it’s only hanging on by a thread as it can bleed profusely. After the stump has fallen off, if the area looks a little dry, a drop of olive oil can be safely applied.

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