Shade was very concerned about the wound on her newborn’s belly button. This umbilical cord stump just wasn’t healing as fast as it should.
Her friend, Fola, wrongly advised her to pull the stump and clean it with alcohol to speed up healing. A few days later, Fola took this advice, and it backfired terribly!
Her baby started bleeding profusely from the stump site and a hospital visit became crucial.
The umbilical cord is the connection between the placenta and the baby. The cord transports nutrients and oxygen through from you to you baby.
At birth, your baby’s umbilical cord is clamped and cut close to your baby’s body. It is a painless procedure that leaves an umbilical stump attached to his/her belly button.
A baby’s umbilical cord stump typically falls off within seven days to two weeks after birth. When this happens there may be some raw skin exposed. This is okay. In the meantime, treat your newborn’s umbilical cord stump with great care.
During the healing process, it is normal to see a little blood near the stump. The tip of the cord stump might bleed a little when it falls off.
However, the obvious signs of infection include:
As parents, our babies depend on us to keep the umbilical stump clean to prevent infections which could potentially land baby back in the hospital.
Furthermore, attempts to speed up the drying process such as pulling the stump or applying anything that hasn’t been prescribed by your doctor are dangerous and should be avoided. These tips should be provided during your antenatal visit. However, if you missed the class, this article tells you all you need to know.
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