Before a baby is born, its umbilical cord serves as a lifeline to its mother, providing oxygen and nutrients. Right after birth, the cord is clamped and cut. Over the next couple of weeks, the cord dries, falls off on its own, the area heals, and your baby has a belly button.<\/p>\n
Until then, a newborn has a small umbilical cord stump, and it\u2019s common for new parents to wonder<\/a> about how to care for it.<\/p>\n The most important thing you can do is keep your baby\u2019s umbilical cord stump clean and dry.<\/p>\n Wash your hands before touching the cord or the skin around it. Fold the front of your baby\u2019s diaper down underneath the umbilical stump so that it doesn\u2019t rub against the cord or get wet with urine.<\/p>\n While the cord is healing, sponge baths can help keep the area dry.\u00a0There is no need to wash or clean the umbilical cord routinely.\u00a0Simply leave the cord alone and allow it to dry and fall off naturally. If urine or stool gets on the stump, gently clean the surrounding area with water and a clean cloth, then pat it dry.<\/p>\n We used to recommend cleaning the umbilical stump with rubbing alcohol, but routine alcohol use is no longer recommended in most cases because it can delay the cord\u2019s separation. Avoid alcohol, creams, oils, or other products on your baby\u2019s umbilical cord unless your pediatrician specifically recommends them.<\/p>\n The stump will normally change color as it dries. It may start out yellowish or greenish and gradually become brown, gray, or black. This is a normal part of the drying process. Let the stump fall off on its own\u2014don\u2019t pull it off, even if it seems like it is barely attached.<\/p>\n A small amount of bleeding from the umbilical stump, particularly around the time the cord falls off, can be completely normal. You may also see a small amount of clear or blood-tinged fluid as the area heals.<\/p>\n However, if the bleeding is more than a few drops, continues, or gets worse, or you\u2019re seeing ongoing bleeding for more than a few days, contact your pediatrician. Active bleeding should be evaluated promptly.<\/p>\n Umbilical cord infections are uncommon, but they can become serious, so it\u2019s important to know what to look for.<\/p>\n Signs of an infection may include:<\/p>\n If you notice signs of infection, call your pediatrician right away. A fever of 100.4\u00b0F (38\u00b0C) or higher in a young infant always needs prompt medical attention.<\/p>\n Most umbilical cord stumps fall off within 1 to 3 weeks after birth. It is important to let the cord separate naturally.<\/p>\n If the stump has not fallen off by 3 weeks, make an appointment with your pediatrician. Delayed separation is uncommon but can occasionally be associated with an underlying medical condition.<\/p>\n The area where the umbilical cord was attached is essentially a small healing wound. Occasionally, instead of healing normally, extra granulation tissue develops.<\/p>\n If your baby\u2019s cord has fallen off and you see a small, round, pink or red, shiny or slightly moist mass in the belly button, they may have an umbilical granuloma. It may also produce a small amount of clear or yellowish fluid.<\/p>\n Umbilical granulomas should be evaluated by your pediatrician. Some resolve on their own, while others may need treatment, such as cauterization with silver nitrate. Your pediatrician can determine the appropriate treatment.<\/p>\n If the area around your baby\u2019s belly button bulges outward when they cry, strain, or have a bowel movement, they may have an umbilical hernia.<\/p>\n An umbilical hernia occurs when there is a small opening in the abdominal wall that allows tissue from inside the abdomen to push outward beneath the skin. Umbilical hernias are common in babies and, in most cases, are harmless.<\/p>\n Treatment is usually simple observation. As your baby grows and the abdominal wall becomes stronger, the hernia will often become smaller and close on its own, commonly during the first year or two of life. Your pediatrician will check it during routine well-child visits.<\/p>\n Do not tape a coin or anything else over the belly button. This does not help the hernia heal faster and can irritate the skin or cause an infection.<\/p>\n Umbilical cord care is usually very simple, but it\u2019s understandable to be concerned when something looks different from what you expected. If you are unsure whether your baby\u2019s cord is healing normally, or you notice increasing redness, swelling, drainage, bleeding, or changes in your baby\u2019s behavior, contact your pediatrician.<\/p>\n Before a baby is born, its umbilical cord serves as a lifeline to its mother, providing oxygen and nutrients. Right after birth, the cord is clamped and cut. Over the next couple of weeks, the cord dries, falls off on its own, the area heals, and your baby has a belly button. Until then, a newborn has a small umbilical cord stump, and it\u2019s common…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":5383,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[667],"tags":[725,668,602,726],"class_list":["post-5374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newborn-care","tag-belly-button","tag-infant","tag-newborn","tag-umbilical-cord-care","ages-baby","ages-prenatal"],"metadata":{"_edit_lock":["1790791580:8"],"_edit_last":["8"],"qode_animate-page-title":["no"],"qode_show-page-title-text":["no"],"qode_show-page-title-image":["no"],"qode_show-sidebar":["default"],"qode_hide-featured-image":["no"],"cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":[""],"ase_chapter_enable_timeline":["off"],"video_format_choose":["youtube"],"_wpb_vc_js_status":["true"],"_wpb_vc_editor_type":["classic"],"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":["667"],"_yoast_wpseo_primary_ages":["287"],"_yoast_wpseo_content_score":["90"],"_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":[""],"_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":[""],"_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":["5"],"_wpb_post_custom_layout":["default"],"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":["newborn umbilical cord care"],"_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":["Newborn umbilical cord care: learn what\u2019s normal, how to care for it, and when bleeding, infection, or other concerns need medical attention."],"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":["79"],"_thumbnail_id":["5383"],"ase_map_component_start_point":["a:2:{s:3:\"lat\";d:29.76;s:3:\"lng\";d:-95.38;}"],"ase_mapbox_style":["openstreet"],"_yoast_indexnow_last_ping":["1792591400"],"wpfp_favorites":["9"]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5374","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5374"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5374\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5385,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5374\/revisions\/5385"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5383"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5374"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5374"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5374"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}How do I care for the umbilical cord?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Is it normal for my baby’s umbilical stump to bleed?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
How do I know if my baby has an umbilical cord infection?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
When will the umbilical cord fall off?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
What is an umbilical granuloma?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Does my baby have an umbilical hernia?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Other concerns about umbilical cord care? Ask your pediatrician.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Resources for Parents<\/h3>\n
American Academy of Pediatrics<\/h3>\n
Your Baby\u2019s Umbilical Cord: 5 Surprising Facts for New & Expectant Parents<\/a><\/h4>\n
Umbilical Cord Care in Newborns<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"