The timing and care of a baby's belly button falling off

Women who have given birth know that the baby's belly button falls off after birth. Many expectant mothers want to know when the baby's belly button falls off so that they can have an idea. Today, the editor has invited an expert in obstetrics and gynecology to introduce to you the time and care methods for the falling off of the baby's belly button. I hope that new parents will continue reading and you will understand everything after reading it.

For most newborns, the time when the umbilical cord falls off normally varies depending on the baby's condition, and it usually falls off 1 to 2 weeks after birth. Mothers can easily take care of their babies by following the three principles of umbilical cord care. The baby's umbilical cord will dry out and fall off 3 to 7 days after being tied and cut, and at the latest 15 to 20 days, and the blood vessels will close and become a ligament. The external wound of the umbilical cord heals and becomes concave inward. This depression forms the so-called "belly button", which is medically known as the umbilicus.

Keeping the area dry and clean is the most important thing in caring for the umbilicus of a newborn. Do not cover the baby's navel with wet clothes or diapers, and do not use dirty hands or dirty cloth to wipe the navel. If secretions are found, disinfection can be carried out by wiping the navel with a sterilized cotton swab dipped in 75% alcohol.

It should be noted that the wiping should be done regularly. The umbilical cord remnant should be lifted from the navel and wiped in spiral motions to avoid bringing bacteria from the surrounding skin into the navel. After the umbilical cord falls off, there will be a layer of scab in the navel fossa. After it falls off naturally, moist or rice-soup-like liquid will exude locally. You can use a sterilized cotton swab dipped in 75% alcohol to wipe the navel and the surrounding skin, or first wipe it with 2% iodine and then apply 75% alcohol. Do not use gentian violet or umbilical cord powder to paint the navel, as this will help to detect whether the navel is infected. If granulation tissue, purulent secretions, redness, swelling or bad odor appear in the umbilical cord, it indicates an infection. You should seek medical treatment immediately to prevent sepsis.

Here are some tips from experts on baby's umbilical cord care:

First, the umbilical cord should be kept dry.

The baby's umbilical cord should be kept dry before it falls off. If the base of the umbilical cord is accidentally wet during bathing, it should be wiped clean with a clean cotton swab before performing umbilical cord care.

Second, avoid friction on the umbilical cord.

For babies, you should choose diapers of the right size. The diaper trademark must not rub against the base of the baby's umbilical cord, as this may easily rub against the base of the umbilical cord when the baby moves, causing skin breakage, redness, and even bleeding.

Third, avoid stuffiness.

Never apply creams, lotions or oils to the base of the umbilical cord to prevent the cord from drying out and even causing infection.

Five details of umbilical cord care:

There are some specific details that you must pay attention to when caring for your newborn's umbilical cord.

First, mothers must wash their hands before caring for the baby's umbilical cord to prevent bacteria on their hands from infecting the baby's navel.

Second, before the umbilical cord falls off, the mother should not let the umbilical cord get wet when bathing the baby. If you take your baby swimming during the newborn stage, be sure to use waterproof stickers.

Third, the baby's umbilical cord and the surrounding skin should be kept dry and clean, especially the navel should not be covered by a diaper, and the umbilical wound should be prevented from being contaminated by urine or feces.

Fourth, never use gentian violet on babies. Some babies' belly buttons do not fall off for a long time, or pus forms after falling off. Some old people wipe the babies with gentian violet to keep them dry. This method was often used in the past, but it is not recommended in medicine now because gentian violet is only limited to the surface drying effect. If you want to achieve a drying effect from the inside out, use iodine tincture.

Fifth, use an iodine cotton swab to wipe twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. When wiping, lift the small string at the umbilical cord ligation site with one hand, and use a cotton swab dipped in iodine to thoroughly wipe the place where the umbilical cord is connected to the flesh with the other hand. And bandage with sterile gauze. After that, the dressing should be changed regularly. And replace the dirty cotton swabs in time, and do not wipe the used cotton swabs repeatedly to avoid infection and inflammation.

If the baby's umbilical cord falls off and purulent secretions appear in the navel fossa and redness and swelling appear around the navel, it means that omphalitis has occurred. In order to avoid the spread, the baby should be taken to the hospital for treatment in time.

This is all I have to say about the time and care methods for a baby's belly button to fall off. In fact, you just need to understand this common sense. These are what doctors have to do, and they have rich experience in this area. As long as you choose the right doctor and hospital, the delivery will be very smooth, so don't worry too much.