Umbilical wound in a newborn

Contents

What is an umbilical wound in a newborn
Treatment of the umbilical wound in a newborn
Terms of healing of the umbilical wound in a newborn
Popular questions and answers

Probably, all parents who take their child in their hands for the first time are scared by the navel with a plastic clothespin. And when it falls off, it becomes even more terrible. What is an umbilical wound and how to care for it?

What is an umbilical wound in a newborn

For the uninformed: an umbilical wound, despite the etymology, is not some kind of injury that can be avoided – all parents of newborns have to deal with it.

What is it and how is it formed?

“The umbilical wound in newborns is formed as a result of the fall of the umbilical cord residue,” explains pediatrician, neonatologist Maria Makarshina. – Shortly after the baby is born, the umbilical cord, which connects the mother and the fetus in the womb, is cut because it is no longer needed. The child has an umbilical residue – a part of the umbilical cord, on which a plastic “clothespin” is applied. As blood flow through the umbilical cord stops, the vessels become empty, and the umbilical cord dries up and falls off. As a result, an umbilical wound is formed – the place where the vessels of the umbilical cord entered the body of the child.

Treatment of the umbilical wound in a newborn

If there is a wound on the body (even an umbilical one), it is logical that some kind of care must be provided. How to treat an umbilical wound in a newborn – and is it necessary at all?

– At the moment, in developed countries, it is customary to conduct an umbilical wound in a “dry way”. It has been proven that when a child is born in a maternity hospital in compliance with asepsis rules, which is routine for developed countries, additional treatment of the umbilical cord and umbilical wound is not required, says Dr. Makarshina. – Moreover, the use of antiseptics, alcohol solutions, hydrogen peroxide delays the fall of the umbilical cord residue and further healing of the umbilical wound.

What is proper care? Or is it enough just not to touch the umbilical wound once again?

“For good healing, skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth is important, to avoid trauma to the umbilical cord, in particular, with the edge of the diaper, to keep the umbilical cord dry,” the pediatrician lists. – To do this, sometimes I recommend not to bathe the child in the bath until the umbilical cord has fallen off, and if we do bathe, then we need to dry it thoroughly. The umbilical wound must also be thoroughly dried after bathing. And do nothing.

Terms of healing of the umbilical wound in a newborn

Of course, every parent is concerned about the question: how quickly does the umbilical wound heal in a newborn? Do not guard her for a month?

In fact, everything is individual. And first you need to separate the umbilical cord residue.

“The separation of the umbilical cord usually occurs during the first week of life,” notes Maria Makarshina. – A delay of up to three weeks is acceptable, provided there are no signs of infection, but lengthening the time for more than two weeks requires the attention of a doctor. And the umbilical wound usually heals 7-10 days after the umbilical cord falls off.

Popular questions and answers

What problems might arise? How to prevent this?

The most common problem is prolonged weeping of the umbilical wound. This is most often due to antiseptics and hydrogen peroxide, which are recommended for use in processing. The fall off of the umbilical cord and the healing of the umbilical wound largely depend on the microflora that the child receives from the mother, which is why skin-to-skin contact after birth is so important. In addition, the settlement of the child’s skin with maternal flora occurs during breastfeeding, while caring for the baby. It is this flora, together with the immune system, that ensures the healing process. Filling the umbilical wound with antiseptics, we kill this microflora, violate the integrity of the skin (if we use alcohol solutions) and greatly interfere with the immune system.

What are the most common mistakes moms make?

Forcible removal of the umbilical residue (this, unfortunately, is more often done by doctors, not mothers) or its traumatization with the edge of the diaper. Use of antiseptics, peroxide, etc. And also do not pay due attention to the drying of the umbilical cord residue and the umbilical wound after bathing.

In what cases is it necessary to consult a doctor?

“Red flags” are: bleeding from the umbilical wound or purulent discharge, redness and swelling around the umbilical wound, fever, lethargy and refusal to eat. In such cases, you should immediately seek help from a doctor.