Your baby’s umbilical cord stump usually dries and falls off two to three weeks after birth. Until then, it takes a little care and attention to prevent infection.

Caring for Baby’s Umbilical Cord

• Clean the base of the cord stump at each diaper change with a cotton ball soaked with alcohol. Your baby may cry when you touch him with the cold alcohol, but this is not painful to him.
• Try to keep the diaper positioned below the navel to avoid irritation.
• Wash with water if the cord is soiled with urine or stool.
• Give sponge baths until the cord stump falls off and the navel is completely healed.
• It’s normal to see a little blood on the diaper when the stump falls off.

Call the doctor if the cord:

• Becomes red
• Bleeds
• Smells bad
• Has pus or red skin at its base
• Is so sensitive that your baby cries when you touch the cord or the skin next to it