Newborn - Care of the Umbilical Cord

While your baby is in the hospital, a clamp will be attached to the umbilical stump for healing and security measures. This clamp is usually removed prior to your baby's discharge from the hospital. If it is left on, we can take it off in our office with clamp removers. The recommendations for cord care have changed over the past several years. We currently do not recommend wiping the area with alcohol after every diaper change; you can simply leave it alone, which makes diaper changes a lot faster! It can take anywhere from 5 days to 6 weeks for the cord to fall off on its own. Many parents notice that the cord has fallen off when they change the baby's diaper. Your baby should not have a tub bath until the cord falls off completely. If you notice any bleeding or oozing from the belly button area after the cord has fallen off, please call our office.

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