CORD CARE

What you need to keep in mind when taking care of the newborn’s cord:

 Be gentle. Keep your hands off of it, and don’t ever pull on it.
 Keep the cord clean and dry at all times. Skip the tub and sink and give your baby sponge baths
instead.
 Leave the cord alone until it falls off by itself.
 Fold diapers so that they rest below the cord to shield it from your little one’s pee. You can look for
diapers that have an area cut out for the cord or cut a spot out of a regular diaper. Just place a piece
of tape around it to seal the edges.

A. How to do cord care

1. Make sure your hands are clean and sanitized before you start cleaning the cord.
2. After giving a sponge bath, clean the stump or the navel area using a cotton, gauze or
clean cloth with water and mild soap. DO NOT USE ALCOHOL because it might irritate
the skin of the baby.
3. Swab the stump from bottom to top. Dip a cotton swab in the water. Gently wipe the
stump starting at the base and wiping up to the top. Use a fresh cotton swab when you
start back at the cord’s base.
4. Dry the stump gently but completely. It’s important to dry the umbilical stump and
surrounding area really well.
5. Dab the area around the stump dry. Don’t rub it. Keep the stump exposed to air until it
is completely dry.
6. Put on the diaper and fold the front down below the cord stump to let it air dry.
7. Dress your newborn in light clothing in warm weather, like a t-shirt. Choose loose-fitting
clothes to allow for air circulation and better drying.
B. When to expect cord to fall off
- The umbilical cord of the newborn is expected to dry and fall off within 1 to 2 weeks after
birth. Expect the stump to change its color to brown, gray, or even black because it’s a
normal process as it dries and heals. You may also notice a red, raw-looking spot right after
the stump falls off. A small amount of fluid sometimes tinged with blood may ooze out of
the navel area and this is considered normal. Keep in mind that it is not advisable to pull the
cord for it may cause unnecessary bleeding and harm to the baby.
C. Signs of Cord Infection

 The skin around the base of your baby's cord stump looks red or swollen.
 You see yellow or green discharge around the base of the stump.
 Your baby's stump smells bad, even after you clean it.
 Your baby's cord stump has not fallen off after 21 days.
 You see fluid leaking from a pink or red scar on your baby's belly button after the stump comes
off.