How to Care For a Newborn's Umbilical Cord

Properly caring for a newborn's umbilical cord is quite important. If the umbilical cord is properly taken care of, it may lead to infections, scarring and other problems with the stomach and belly button. Most newborn's will lose their umbilical cord stump within 10-14 days. Here is how you can properly take care of a newborn's umbilical cord.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Rubbing alcohol or alcohol pads
• Cotton swabs

1. Keep the newborn's umbilical cord stump clean and dry. Do not submerge your newborn in water for a bath until the entire umbilical cord has fallen off. Until then, sponge bath your baby, avoiding getting the cord stump wet.

2. Wipe the cord base with alcohol every diaper change while in the hospital. When arriving home, wipe the cord base approximately 3-4 times a day until the stump falls off.

3. Fold the newborn's diaper below the cord stump until the stump fall offs. You may want to look at buying newborn diapers that actually have a cut out waist so that they do not rub against the umbilical cord stump.

4. Don't ever pick at, pull it, or cut the umbilical cord on your newborn. As it is healing it will get dry and crusty and will look like a scab, but just continue to not touch it or bother it.

5. If you notice any bleeding around the umbilical cord, foul odor, redness or yellow discharge, notify your baby's doctor as soon as possible. There may be an infection or problem that needs immediate attention.

6. After the umbilical cord stump as completely fallen off, continue to clean the base of the navel with alcohol for 2-3 days after. The base of the navel may not be completely dried when the cord stump fell off.

Tips & Warnings

• You may want to try rubbing alcohol pads, as they come in handy packages with the alcohol already on them, instead of having to use cotton swabs to apply the alcohol.