Can my baby have a bath before the umbilical cord falls off? Only give your newborn sponge baths until the stump of the umbilical cord falls off, which usually happens by about one or two weeks of age.
Your healthcare provider might tell you to sponge bath your baby until his umbilical cord is healed, but you can give your baby a tub bath as well. Wash the umbilical cord area (cord stump) with water when you bathe your baby.
While there's no harm in getting the stump wet, sponge baths might make it easier to keep the stump dry. Let the stump fall off on its own. Resist the temptation to pull off the stump yourself.
The American Academy of Pediatrics stated that tub bathing performed before the separation of umbilical cord may leave the umbilical cord wet and predispose infection by delaying its separation; thus, it is required to make sponge bathing until the umbilical cord falls off (14).
When your baby is born the umbilical cord is cut and there is a stump left. The stump should dry and fall off by the time your baby is 5 to 15 days old. Keep the stump clean with gauze and water only. Sponge bathe the rest of your baby, as well.
Gently clean around the umbilical cord (the folds) every day until it drops off and the belly button is healed. Here are a few tips for cleaning the umbilical cord and keeping it dry: Gently clean the area with a cotton swab (Q-Tips®) soaked in warm water.
Once the umbilical cord has fallen off and the belly button has healed, you can give your baby her first real bath. The basic principles of warmth and comfort still apply, and supplies should still be within reach. Aim for an every-other-day bath; a daily bath is more apt to dry your baby's delicate skin.
The average cord falls off between 10 and 14 days. Normal range is 7 to 21 days. Even if it falls off before 7 days, you can follow this advice. After the cord has fallen off, the navel will gradually heal.
Delayed first bath for at least 24 hours may reduce infant mortality and hypothermia. Delayed bath for at least 6 hours may prevent hypothermia and hypoglycaemia and improve EBF rates at discharge.
When the umbilical cord becomes wet with urine, gently clean the base of the umbilical cord with mild soap and warm water. Rinse the area and pat it dry. Keep the belly button area dry.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends supervised tummy time for full-term babies starting in the first week, as soon as your baby's umbilical cord stump falls off. For newborns, success is a minute at a time, 2 to 3 sessions per day. If they start crying, it's time for a break.
Most people who have an "outie" fall into one of two categories: either they were born with a tiny umbilical hernia, which is most likely, or had a small infection at the base of the umbilical cord that went unnoticed. This will cause unusual tissue called granulation tissue to form.
Breast milk is full of live probiotics, antibodies, and antibacterial properties. Squirt a little fresh breast milk onto the stump to keep it from getting infected, or treat an emerging infection (talk to your health care provider first if you suspect infection).
As they dry up, cords normally change color. They go from a shiny yellowish hue, to brown or gray. The cord will normally fall off between 1 and 3 weeks.
Signs of an Infected Umbilical Cord Stump
A smelly yellow discharge from the stump area. A reddening of the skin around the stump. Swelling of the navel area. Your baby crying when you touch the stump, indicating it is tender or sore.
The World Health Organization recommends that the umbilical cord not be clamped earlier than 1 minute after birth in term or preterm newborns. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists also recommends deferring umbilical cord clamping for healthy term and preterm infants for at least 2 minutes after birth.
Doctors do not recommend that you privately bank cord blood on the slight chance that your baby will have a disease that could be treated with stem cells.
The World Health Organization recommends delaying the first bath until at least 24 hours after birth. Others suggest waiting up to 48 hours or more. Once your baby is home, there's no actual need to bathe daily. Until the umbilical cord is healed, the AAP recommends you stick to sponge baths.
World Health Organization advocates for dry umbilical cord care and application of topical antiseptics in situations where hygienic conditions are poor or infection rates are high (3, 6). However the Nigerian government recommends the use of Methylated spirit or chlorhexidine solution for cord care (7, 8).
Remember to avoid covering the cord with the diaper, because the cord area should be kept dry and clean at all times. If the diaper is too high, fold it down on your baby before securing. You can also buy special newborn diapers that have a space cut-out for the umbilical cord.
Whether or not your baby has an innie or an outie belly button is due to chance. You won't know right away which way your baby's belly button will go, but both innies and outies are healthy. In the majority of cases, an outie is perfectly normal and not of medical concern.
Internally the veins and arteries in the cord close up and form ligaments, which are tough connective tissues. These ligaments divide up the liver into sections and remain attached to the inside of the belly button.