Umbilical Cord Symptoms

When To Call

Call Doctor or Seek Care Now

• Age less than 1 month old and looks or acts abnormal in any way
• Bleeding won't stop after 10 minutes of direct pressure applied twice
• Spot of blood more than 2 inches (5 cm) across
• Red streak runs from the navel
• Red skin spreads from around the navel
• Fever in baby less than 12 weeks old. Caution: do NOT give your baby any fever medicine before being seen.
• You think your child needs to be seen, and the problem is urgent

Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours

• Small bleeding lasts more than 3 days
• Pimples, blisters or sores near navel
• Lots of drainage (such as urine, mucus, pus) from the navel
• You think your child needs to be seen, but the problem is not urgent

Contact Doctor During Office Hours

• After using care advice for 3 days, navel is not dry and clean
• Small piece of red tissue inside the navel
• Cord stays attached more than 6 weeks
• You have other questions or concerns

Self Care at Home

• Normal cord care
• Normal navel care after cord falls off
• Minor infection of cord or navel
• Normal bleeding from cord or navel
• Normal delayed separation of the cord after 3 weeks

Care Advice

Treatment for Normal Umbilical Cord

What You Should Know About Normal Umbilical Cords:

• Normal cords don't need any special treatment.
• Just keep them dry (called dry cord care or natural drying).
• Reason: cords need to dry up, before they will fall off.
• 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.
• Here is some care advice that should help.

Normal Dry Cord Care:

• Check the skin around the base of the cord once a day.
• Usually the area is dry and clean. No treatment is needed.
• If there are any secretions, clean them away. Use a wet cotton swab. Then dry carefully.
• You will need to push down on the skin around the cord to get at this area. You may also need to bend the cord a little to get underneath it.
• Caution: don't put alcohol or other germ killer on the cord. Reason: dry cords fall off sooner. Exception: instructed by your doctor to use alcohol.

Bathing:

• Keep the cord dry. Avoid tub baths.
• Use sponge baths until the cord falls off.

Fold Diaper Down:

• Keep the area dry to help healing.
• To provide air contact, keep the diaper folded down below the cord.
• Another option for disposable diapers is to cut off a wedge with a scissors. Then seal the edge with tape.

Poop on Cord:

• Getting some poop on the cord or navel is not serious.
• If it occurs, clean the area with soap and water.
• This should prevent any infections.

Call Your Doctor If:

• Develops a red streak or redness around belly button
• Fever occurs
• Your baby starts to look or act abnormal
• You think your child needs to be seen

Treatment for Normal Navel After Cord Falls Off

What You Should Know About Navels After the Cord Falls Off:

• The cord can't fall off too early.
• 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.
• It's normal for the center to look red at the point of separation.
• It's not normal if the redness spreads on to the belly.
• It's normal for the navel to ooze some secretions.
• Sometimes the navel forms a scab. Let it heal up and fall off on its own.
• The navel has a small risk of becoming infected.
• Here is some care advice that should help.

Normal Navel Care:

• Keep the navel (belly button) clean and dry.
• If there are any secretions, clean them away. Use a wet cotton swab. Then dry carefully.
• Do this gently to prevent any bleeding.
• Caution: don't use any rubbing alcohol. Reason: can interfere with healing.

Bathing:

• After the cord falls off, continue sponge baths for a few more days.
• Help the belly button area dry up.
• Then, tub baths will be fine.

Fold Diaper Down:

• Keep the navel dry to help healing.
• To provide air contact, keep the diaper folded down below the navel.

What to Expect:

• The belly button should be healed and dry by 7 days.

Call Your Doctor If:

• Develops a red streak or redness around belly button
• Fever occurs
• Cloudy discharge occurs
• Your baby starts to look or act abnormal
• You think your child needs to be seen

Treatment for Minor Infection of Cord or Navel

What You Should Know About a Minor Infection of Cord or Navel:

• The belly button will ooze secretions for several days.
• Normal secretions are clear or blood tinged mucus.
• A cloudy discharge is usually a mild infection.
• This can be from normal skin bacteria.
• A small amount of pus may be present.
• Here is some care advice that should help.

Clean the Navel:

• Clean the navel (belly button) 2 times a day.
• Use a wet cotton swab or cloth.
• Clean away any dried secretions or pus.
• Do this gently to prevent any bleeding.
• Caution: don't use any rubbing alcohol. Reason: can interfere with healing.

Antibiotic Ointment for Pus:

• If any pus is present, use an antibiotic ointment (such as Polysporin).
• No prescription is needed.
• Put a tiny amount on the belly button.
• Do this 2 times per day after the area has been cleaned.
• Do this for 2 days. After that, use the antibiotic ointment only if you see more pus.

Bathing:

• Do not use tub baths until the cord falls off. The navel should be well healed.

Fold Diaper Down:

• Keep the belly button dry to help healing.
• To provide air contact, keep the diaper folded down. Keep it below the cord and belly button.

What to Expect:

• With treatment, the cloudy discharge and pus should be gone in 2 to 3 days.
• The navel should become dry and healed by 7 days.

Call Your Doctor If:

• Develops a red streak or redness around the belly button
• Fever occurs
• Cloudy discharge not gone after 3 days of using this care advice
• Your baby starts to look or act abnormal
• You think your child needs to be seen

Treatment for Normal Bleeding Around Cord

What You Should Know About Mild Bleeding Around the Cord:

• A few drops of blood are normal when the cord falls off or catches on something.
• The diaper rubbing against the belly button may make it start up again.
• Here is some care advice that should help.

Bleeding:

• To stop bleeding, put direct pressure on the navel for 10 minutes. Use a clean cloth.
• Clean the area beforehand, rather than afterwards.
• Reason: this helps prevent bleeding from starting back up.

Diaper:

• Prevent the diaper from rubbing on the belly button.
• Do this by folding the diaper down away from the belly button.
• You can also cut a wedge out of the diaper.

What to Expect:

• The bleeding may come back a few times.
• It should only be a small smear of blood.
• The bleeding site should heal up by 2 days.

Call Your Doctor If:

• Bleeding gets worse
• Few drops of blood lasts more than 3 days
• Your baby starts to look or act abnormal
• You think your child needs to be seen

Treatment for Normal Delayed Separation of the Cord Beyond 3 Weeks

What You Should Know Cords Falling Off:

• Most cords fall off between 10 and 14 days. Normal range is 7 to 21 days.
• All cords slowly fall off on their own.
• Continue to be patient.
• Here is some care advice that should help.

Stop Alcohol:

• If you have been using rubbing alcohol to the cord, stop doing so.
• Rubbing alcohol can kill the good bacteria that help the cord fall off.

Diaper:

• Help the cord dry up faster by keeping the diaper folded below it.
• Another approach is to cut out a wedge of the diaper (if disposable).
• Air contact helps the cord stay dry.

Call Your Doctor If:

• Cord starts to look infected
• Fever occurs
• Cord is still on for more than 6 weeks
• Your baby starts to look sick or act abnormal
• You think your child needs to be seen

Remember! Contact your doctor if you or your child develop any "Contact Your Doctor" symptoms.