The umbilical cord is a vital link for the baby, with important tasks ranging from feeding the baby in the womb to removing harmful substances from the body. This bond is broken when the baby is born. The rest dries up and falls off over a period of time. So, when does the umbilical cord fall off? How should it be maintained? All about the umbilical cord in our article.

What is the Umbilical Cord?

The umbilical cord is a tube-like structure with blood vessels running through the center that keeps the fetus attached to the placenta. Through this structure, all the needs of the baby in the womb are met. Without the umbilical cord, the baby cannot survive. The umbilical cord, which meets all the baby’s nutritional needs and oxygen, also ensures the removal of waste substances from the body. This ligament is cut at birth and the remainder is sticky and watery like jelly in the first few days. In the following days, it turns yellow, brown and black.

How to Care for the Umbilical Cord?

Before leaving the hospital, parents are instructed on how to care for the umbilical cord. The things to be considered when caring for the umbilical cord are as follows:

• Wipe the umbilical cord once a day with a solution containing 70% pure alcohol, ensuring that it is thoroughly wet and the overflowing liquid is wiped off.
• Care should be taken to ensure that the hands are clean during the cleaning process.
• If urine or feces have come into contact with the area where the umbilical cord is located, it is recommended to take care of it every time.
• Keeping the umbilical cord dry makes it easier to fall off. It is therefore not recommended to bathe the baby until it falls. If you are in a situation where the baby needs to be bathed, you can cover the belly with a diaper to keep it dry during bathing. Care must be taken to dry the belly after bathing if it has become wet.
• In hot weather, it is recommended to wear clothes that leave the umbilical cord exposed.
• The umbilical cord area should not be covered with diapers or panties. This ensures that the umbilical cord falls off more quickly as a result of the area coming into contact with air.
• The umbilical cord should never be interfered with. It should be expected to fall spontaneously in this process.
• After the umbilical cord has fallen off, treatment with alcohol for at least 1-2 days makes it easier for this area to dry out.

Parents are afraid of hurting the baby when cleaning the umbilical cord. So sometimes they may not be able to care effectively. Since there are no nerve cells in the umbilical cord, the baby does not feel any pain. Therefore, it can be cleaned in detail with peace of mind.

When does the umbilical cord fall off?

The umbilical cord is expected to fall off within 5-15 days after birth. However, the umbilical cord may fall off earlier or later. In some cases, a premature fall of the navel can cause problems such as bleeding or infection. It can also cause a small ligament to remain in that area. This ligament is called a granuloma. If granuloma occurs, this should be evaluated in an outpatient clinic and the physician should decide whether additional treatment is needed. A doctor should also be consulted if the umbilical cord does not fall off after 28 days. Bleeding that does not go away can be caused by problems with the baby’s immune system or anatomy.

When should you consult a doctor for the umbilical cord?

When the umbilical cord is cared for regularly and correctly, it will dry and fall off in a healthy way. At monthly check-ups, the doctor will also check this area and report any problems. However, if there are some symptoms in the umbilical cord, it is best to see a doctor immediately. These situations can be listed as follows:

• Foul-smelling oozing around the umbilical cord, like pus
• Redness or swelling of the umbilical cord
• Development of tenderness around the umbilical cord
• Failure of umbilical cord bleeding to stop despite applying pressure for 5-7 minutes
• Bleeding in the umbilical cord, even in small amounts, persisting for more than 28 days

What should be done if the belly is turned out?

A protruding navel in infants is usually a harmless herniation. Traditional hearsay for this situation;

• Inserting coins,
• Band-aid application or bandage wrapping,
• Wrapping it in clothing does not provide any benefit and may cause infection.

Therefore, it should never be tried. This shape of the belly usually resolves spontaneously before the baby is 2 years old. Rarely, it can last up to 5 years.