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Umbilical cord in a newborn: when it falls off, on what day, a clothespin
The umbilical cord in a newborn pretty soon dries up and detaches from the body. In order for this process to pass quickly and painlessly, you need to know some of the nuances.
As soon as the baby is born, the doctor puts a clamp on the umbilical cord and cuts it off. The blood stops circulating through the vessels, and the child begins to breathe and eat on his own.
There are two ways to remove the umbilical cord:
- A clip or clothespin is attached to the umbilical cord. After 4-5 days, the remainder dries out and detaches from the navel. Only a small wound remains, which must be kept clean until it is completely healed.
- The umbilical cord is removed on the second day after birth and a special bandage is applied. After a while, the pressure of the dressings is released, and after 24 hours they are removed. A crust remains at the site of the wound, which disappears after 6-7 days.
After discharge from the hospital, the mother herself must properly care for the wound.
On what day does the wound heal?
It may take several weeks for the wound to heal completely. The term depends on the individual characteristics and the thickness of the umbilical cord.
In order for the navel to heal faster, you need to ventilate the room more often, leave the baby naked so that the skin breathes and the umbilical cord shrinks. Until the wound is completely healed, there is no need to bathe the baby, it is enough to wipe the skin with a cloth soaked in warm water. But if there is such a need, the area around the navel should be well dried.
In no case should you independently tear off the remainder of the umbilical cord. It is enough to regularly wipe the wound with cotton swabs and ventilate. The main thing is that the rest of the umbilical cord does not rub against diapers, diapers or clothes. A healed navel takes on the same shade as the skin of the abdomen.
What to do when bleeding from a wound where the umbilical cord was in a newborn?
If the wound begins to bleed, you need to handle it especially carefully. Processing order:
- Dip a cotton swab in hydrogen peroxide.
- Lubricate the wound.
- Gently remove the residue with a cotton swab.
- Dip a cotton swab in brilliant green and treat the navel area.
The frequency of the procedure is 2-3 times a day. If a crust appears on the navel, it must be carefully removed with peroxide and cotton swabs.
A newborn should be shown to a doctor if he has:
- the wound bleeds very often;
- increased body temperature;
- there is swelling, induration, or redness in the navel area;
- a grayish or yellow liquid with an unpleasant odor is released from the navel.
This may indicate the presence of an infection.
Knowing on what day the umbilical cord falls off and how to care for the wound, young mothers will not worry so much and will feel more confident.