The newborn's navel has not healed yet
After birth, the navel does not yet have the appearance it will acquire later on as a piece of the cord remains attached to it (called umbilical cord) which connected the baby to the placenta. For the stump to fall out, you have to wait on average about 10-14 days, but there are children in which it comes off later and others in which it happens much earlier. What to do if thethe newborn's navel has not yet healed?
In this article
- Umbilical cord care
- When to worry
Umbilical cord care
There is no need to be in a hurry, nor to worry because its fall is a natural and spontaneous process destined to occur without the need to intervene in any way.
Until the stump has fallen off and the navel has healed, care must be taken not to leave the wet area and generally it is advisable to take a shower instead of the immersion bath. After the shower, which can also be done every day, you must dab well with a clean and soft cloth, then around the stump you can wrap a sterile gauze, to be fixed with the appropriate umbilical retina. If the area becomes red and hot or if yellowish secretions appear, you need to think about an infection that must be promptly brought to the attention of the pediatrician.
Do you need to disinfect?
It is not true that it is necessary to disinfect the area every day with alcohol, as was customary in the past. It has been seen that such a procedure can delay healing, without being of real use in preventing infections.
According to the indications of the experts of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the association of American pediatricians, and those of the World Health Organization, the main objective should be simply to keep the abutment as dry as possible to make it easier to fall off.
"Whenever possible, the stump can and should stay in the air, which helps it dry and dry," he advises Adima Lamborghini, family pediatrician in Silvi (Teramo) and member of the Study Center of the Federation of Paesena pediatricians (Fimp). However, when the baby needs to be dressed, it is best to protect him with (dry) gauze.
In the video the advice of the midwife for the care of the umbilical stump
Read also: The care of the umbilical cordWhen to worry
The stump of the umbilical cord must not make any smell: if you smell bad it must be reported to the pediatrician, who must also be advised:
- if redness appears around the residue,
- if there are yellowish or bloody secretions,
- if the baby cries and moans when the stump is touched (it means that he is in pain, which should not be there),
- if the stump itself does not fall off within two weeks from returning home.
Umbilical cord (PHOTO)
go to the galleryThe umbilical cord is a unique bond between mother and baby. Here are seven important things to remember about this incredible connection that unites the fetus to the mother's placenta.
References
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- World Health Organization
- Paesena Society of Pediatric Primary Care
TAG:
- navel of the baby
- belly button
- scarred navel
