stinky cord stump

[emnic77]

What should I do to prevent infection? 5 days old, it's a little stinky and bloody/gooey but not infected, and does not appear to be bothering her at all. Witch hazel?

[kltroy]

No, general consensus is put nothing on the cord unless it gets infected, in which case you should take your child to the doctor. Cord stumps are stinky, and it's normal. Heck - it's rotting/dying tissue - what do you want? Just keep it clean and as dry as possible. If it starts to look irritated or keeps getting "beat up" by the diaper or pants you can put a band-aid over it. It's also ok to put a little bacitracin on it if you're worried.

[mwherbs]

give your baby a bath, and put breast milk on the cord site- I think that normal cord rot stinks- but if you still have concerns call your provider or ped to have a look

[Jaesun's Dad]

Keep it clean and dry is the overwhelming majority opinion. The hospital gave us alcohol pads but we didn't use them after the first day because that can get absorbed through the skin. I wouldn't try anything like witch hazel unless your doctor specifically advises this (and then maybe get a second opinion). Our little dude's stump didn't fall off until nearly a month, but it didn't get infected. Now it's in my freezer in a ziploc bag ... I'm not sure why ... but I kept it :-)

[Comtessa]

I thought it was commonly advised not to submerge the baby in water until after the cord falls off, 'cause it makes it take longer to to dry and drop off?

DD's umbilicus was a little stinky and gooey too, right before the stump fell off, and for a little while afterward -- my MIL (pediatric nurse practitioner) said this was normal and not to put anything on it at all. She said we could dab away the goo with some plain water on a q-tip. She said if it were infected, we'd know -- it would be red and hot to the touch and would be oozing a lot more.

[Comtessa]

Originally Posted by Jaesun's Dad

Now it's in my freezer in a ziploc bag ... I'm not sure why ... but I kept it :-)

That's not weird at all! I still have DD's in a little box on her dresser. In fact, I think that among the Ojibwa it has historically been customary to present a newborn child with a small basket shaped like a strawberry (because of the berry's similarity to the human heart), containing a piece of the child's umbilical cord. Important items with special meaning are added to the basket during one's life, and then it is buried with the person. The umbilical cord (and, presumably, the other items in the basket) is there to help the ancestors to recognize the person when s/he arrives in the Spirit World. I don't have a strawberry basket for DD, but I did at least keep her little bit of umbilical cord.

[mwherbs]

I will send this along- with the caveat that you need to have safe water sources- if you live where your water is contaminated with sewage- best not- but the use of breastmilk in that setting is still valid--

J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2004 Nov-Dec;33(6):704-12.
Tub bathing versus traditional sponge bathing for the newborn.

Bryanton J, Walsh D, Barrett M, Gaudet D.

School of Nursing, 550 University Avenue, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, C1A 4P3. [e-mail]
INTERVENTIONS: Fifty-one newborns were tub bathed and 51 sponge bathed according to the study protocols for their initial and one additional bath. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: (a) Newborn temperature stability was assessed by recording axillary temperatures pre- and postbath, (b) umbilical cord healing was identified by daily observations and infection control surveillance, (c) infant contentment was quantified by applying the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale, and (d) maternal pleasure with the bath and confidence with bathing at discharge were self-rated on a 5-point scale. RESULTS: Tub-bathed babies experienced significantly less temperature loss (t = 4.79, p = .00) and were significantly more content (t = -6.48, p = .00) than were those who were sponge bathed. No differences in cord healing scores were found.

I also don't think that babies need to be bathed often but a smelly belly can be inproved with a well timed wash-

[emnic77]

doh - didn't even think about breastmilk. Of course!
That's what I though - keep it dry and nothing on it. Wasn't sure if smelly was a precursor to infection.
Even my newborn/fold down dipes come in contact with it, but like I said, she doesn't seem to care. It's so close to falling off...

And yes, I have the little stumps from both my other two kids, too

[lifeguard]

I was surprised by how stinky ds' was. Good thing is it will fall off & the stink is gone.