Symptoms of an inflamed belly button in babies

We all know that when a baby is in the mother's body, it is connected to the mother through the umbilical cord, and this umbilical cord is used to deliver nutrients and oxygen to the baby. So when the baby is born, the umbilical cord is no longer effective. At this time, the doctor will cut the baby's umbilical cord. However, sometimes due to infection, the baby's belly button is particularly prone to inflammation. So what are the symptoms of a baby's belly button inflammation?

1 Symptoms of neonatal navel inflammation:

The base of the umbilical cord becomes red, or the wound does not heal after falling off, and the umbilical fossa is moist and leaking water. These are the earliest signs of umbilical cord inflammation.

In fact, many babies' navel inflammation will show signs of inflammation before the umbilical cord falls off. Adults may not pay attention or care, which may cause the inflammation to worsen. I saw a case online before. A baby’s navel became inflamed and festered, and the area around the navel was red and swollen. Because it was not treated in time, the baby later developed phlebitis.

Recommendation: Regardless of whether the baby's umbilical cord has fallen off, if you find any abnormality in the child, you should take him to the hospital for treatment in time and do not blindly care for him at home.

2 Symptoms of neonatal navel inflammation:

For mild cases of umbilical inflammation, except for abnormalities in the navel, the body temperature and appetite are normal; when the skin around the baby's navel becomes red and swollen, and you can feel a slight fever on the skin surface when you touch it with your hand, and purulent secretions with a foul odor appear in the navel, and the baby also has symptoms of anorexia, vomiting, and fever, it means that the baby's navel has become purulent.

Note: If the baby's belly button inflammation symptoms are not very serious, parents can help the baby wipe it clean with 75% alcohol and keep it dry and clean.

If there is a lot of pus, you should take your baby to the hospital every day to change the dressing and use antibacterial drugs in time under the guidance of a doctor. Once an abscess is formed, it must be incised and drained to prevent the situation from further deteriorating.

3 Symptoms of neonatal navel inflammation:

After the umbilical cord falls off, the wound does not heal, and there is exudate or purulent secretion with a foul odor; the skin around the umbilicus becomes red and swollen, deep into the subcutaneous tissue, and in severe cases it spreads to form cellulitis or periumbilical abscess, and even secondary peritonitis.

Note: If not treated promptly, it may cause abdominal wall cellulitis, forming abscesses and necrosis. Bacteria may invade the blood circulation along the umbilical blood vessels that have not yet closed, causing sepsis.

4 Symptoms of neonatal navel inflammation:

When a baby suffers from chronic omphalitis, a granuloma will form in the umbilical cord, which is a small cherry red swelling that protrudes and often oozes sticky secretions and does not heal for a long time. This is often because the deformed omphalitis has not been completely cured and has gradually developed into chronic omphalitis and umbilical granuloma.

Of course, it is also possible that the umbilical cord falls off too early, leaving the unhealed wound exposed to long-term local infection, or foreign matter (such as talcum powder) accidentally enters the navel, causing long-term chronic stimulation and causing omphalitis to persist for a long time, forming umbilical granuloma.