How to care for the navel of a newborn

The content of the article

1 How to care for the navel with a clothespin
2 How to handle the navel of a newborn
3 Is it possible to bathe a child if the navel is not healed
4 What if the navel does not heal
5 Video: how best to handle the navel of a newborn

If you are an experienced mother who has one child in the background and knowledge of how to care for a newborn, it will not be difficult for you to process the umbilical wound. But if you are a primogenet who sees a tiny baby for the first time, you will not be prevented from knowledge about caring for the navel of a newborn.

Through the navel, the baby receives all the elements it needs for nutrition - oxygen, vitamins, minerals. The navel is his life artery. After birth, the placenta can no longer feed the baby and the navel needs to be cut. Now all the necessary baby will receive from the outside world. The large life channel in the form of the navel is cut, with time the wound heals and falls off. At such moments, you need to be as attentive as possible. The open, unhealed navel is the gate for the infection right inside the body.It needs to be protected and processed. At the same time, excessive friction and permanent procedures often become the cause of long bleeding of the umbilical wound. So what to do, how to find this optimal balance? How to care for the navel of a newborn, try to figure it out.

How to care for the navel with a clothespin

Special clothespin, which clamps the navel of a newborn after birth, usually disappears for 4-5 days. But often it can hold up to 10 days - this is normal. A few decades ago, there was a rule in maternity hospitals - an extract only after the navel “falls off”. Today there are no such rules, and often moms go home as early as 3-4 days after giving birth. If in the hospital the medical staff helps to care for the child and his navel, then at home it should be done independently.

As a rule, while the clothespin does not fall off, the navel does not require special care. You just have to follow two rules - clean and dry. The navel of the child should not come into contact with dirty and even more so with infected objects and things. All clothes must be ironed. Wear your baby a special diaper that has a hole for the navel.If there is no such diaper, the diaper can be simply wrapped a little on top so that it does not block the access of fresh air to the wound. Under these conditions, the clothespin will fall off much faster. And in place of it, an umbilical wound is formed, which requires special care.

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How to handle the navel of a newborn

It is necessary to process an umbilical wound 1-2 times a day. It is better to do it in the morning and evening, after water treatments. To do this, you need hydrogen peroxide, chlorophyllipt (or other antiseptic), cotton swabs, cotton wool, pipette.

Rinse hands thoroughly before handling. Put the baby on the changing table and drop some hydrogen peroxide into the navel with a pipette. Bubbles will appear, hissing will begin - this is normal.
After 5 minutes, when the peroxide soak frozen crusts, gently use a cotton swab to remove all unnecessary things from the navel - crusts and pieces of dried blood. Clean only the surface of the navel, you can not climb too deep - so you slow down the process of healing.
After that, treat the wound with chlorophyllipt (you can use any other antiseptics) and leave the navel for a while in the open air.
It is not necessary to process the wound zelenko or potassium permanganate.The bright color of these compounds can hide possible inflammation and redness.

Treat the navel in this way, it will heal in a few days. How to understand that navel has healed? It will cease to bleed, the ichor will no longer stand out from it, the peroxide will cease to foam. After healing, the wound needs to be treated for a couple more days for prophylaxis.

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Is it possible to bathe a child if the navel is not healed

This issue worries many new parents. It is possible to bathe the child, but for this purpose it is necessary to use clear water - the probability of infection through an open wound is high. Therefore, the water must be pre-boiled. It is necessary to boil water for at least 10 minutes, after which the liquid is cooled and poured into the bath. Check the water temperature with a thermometer - it should be about 37 degrees.

Dilute a small amount of potassium permanganate in the glass beforehand. Potassium permanganate will decontaminate the water and protect the baby with unhealed navel from possible germs. Before pouring the solution into the bath, strain it through several layers of gauze so that insoluble particles of small crystals will not burn the skin.Bathing water should have a slightly pinkish tint.

You need to start bathing the child at short intervals. Wrap the baby in a diaper and put the baby in the bath - from the legs to the middle of the chest. The first bathing does not need to be accompanied by soap and washcloth - just rinse the baby. Bathing is very useful for the child - it affects the skin and improves blood circulation. After water procedures, treat the navel and let it dry well. After the navel has healed, bathing water may not be boiled.

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What if the navel does not heal

If the navel does not heal for more than 10 days - this is the reason for going to the doctor. Also, the pediatrician should be contacted if the navel becomes red and swollen. If the child starts to cry when it touches the inflamed area of skin, it means that the skin in this place is painful. Most likely, the wound was infected and bacteria got inside. In such a situation, you need to show the child to the doctor as soon as possible. In what other cases can the navel not heal for a long time?

Excessive hygiene. If a young mother too often processes and “picks up” the navel, this can cause the wound to continue to bleed. Do treatments less frequently and less intensively.Unless, of course, in the wound site there is no redness and swelling.
Large diameter of the umbilical cord. In this case, you should not worry - just your baby's navel is slightly larger, and it will heal longer.
Prematurity Babies born early are not mature enough, and their bodies cannot quickly cope with such a serious wound. They also need more time.
Hernia. To determine the umbilical hernia can be a noticeable protrusion of the navel. In this case, you need to consult with a pediatrician and a surgeon. With proper treatment, you can avoid the development of hernia and surgery.
Inflammatory processes. If the baby's navel gets wet, does not heal and turns red, most likely, inflammatory processes have begun there. Fungus is a pink seal at the bottom of the navel that is accompanied by reddening of the skin around. Omphalitis is an inflammation of the umbilical wound if bacteria have entered there. Occurs due to poor hygiene and lack of treatment. Fistula occurs if the choleretic and diuretic ducts do not close by the time of birth. In this case, a liquid is secreted through the navel, the wound gets wet all the time. A characteristic feature of a fistula is an unpleasant smell from a wound.It is necessary to see a doctor.

These are the most common reasons why the navel may not heal for a long time.

The navel of the child is the invisible thread that binds him to his mother. This is the first wound in life and the first deep scar on the body. An interesting fact is that the shape of the navel does not depend on the genes and has its own, unique pattern. Caring for the navel is a very important stage at the beginning of your motherhood. The speed of healing of the navel depends only on your knowledge and common sense.

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