It’s hard to believe that the shriveled-up little umbilical stump used to bring life-sustaining nutrients to your baby.
Umbilical cord care is as easy as ABC’s.
A: Air. Keep the cord stump drive by letting it air out. It is no longer recommended to use alcohol to dry it out.
B: Baths. Sponge baths are recommended until the stump falls off on its own.
C: Clean. Keep the umbilical cord area clean.
As always, contact your pediatrician if you have any concerns or the cord has any continual bleeding, pus, swelling or redness, or discharge that has an odor. (These could be signs of an infection.)
