Children Infected With Umbilical Cord: What Should Parents Do?

For most babies, the umbilical cord dries out and falls off within the first few weeks after birth. However, there are still some cases of babies with umbilical cord infections due to improper care. This makes the baby mild, local infection of the umbilical cord, severe can lead to the risk of sepsis, one of the leading causes of death in newborns. 

► Symptoms of navel infection 

• The skin around the navel is swollen, red, painful;  
• Purulent green, yellow, foul nose;  
• Umbilical bleeding.  

There are also some other accompanying signs such as: The child has a high fever over 38 degrees Celsius, rapid breathing, pale skin, skipping or poor feeding. 

► Causes of umbilical cord infection in children  

• Improper cleaning of the umbilical cord: Not cleaning the umbilical cord frequently, bandaging the umbilical cord too tightly, forgetting to clean hands before cleaning the umbilical cord or using folk remedies. time to handle the umbilical cord without a doctor’s appointment…  
• Less hygiene, bandaged the baby’s umbilical cord: This situation is common in some mothers giving birth for the first time. Due to fear of hurting the baby, some mothers do not dare to touch their baby’s navel, leading to less dressing change and cleaning of the umbilical cord for the baby.  
• Hygiene of the umbilical cord for children excessively: Many mothers wash their baby’s umbilical cord excessively without knowing that keeping the umbilical cord wet for a long time will cause the umbilical cord to fall off for a long time and cause umbilical cord infection. 
• The water used to clean the baby’s umbilical cord is not guaranteed: Mothers should use alcohol 70 degrees antiseptic solution or physiological saline to clean the best and safest way for the baby.

► How to treat an infected navel. 

Step 1: Use sterile gauze to lift the umbilical cord to observe the umbilical cord, umbilical cord, umbilical cord cross section and the skin around the umbilicus, identify abnormalities such as: a lot of discharge, blood, pus, skin around the navel red swelling…  

Step 2: Wipe the area around the umbilicus with a sterile cotton swab soaked in antiseptic solution, from the umbilical stump to the umbilical cord, the umbilical cord clamping position and the umbilical cord section with a sterile cotton swab impregnated with solution antiseptic solution. Then disinfect from the base of the navel to the skin around the navel.  

Step 3: Continue to take care after the belly button has fallen off until the umbilical stump is dry and there is no secretion. 

More importantly, when there are symptoms: The umbilical cord oozes with yellow, green, foul pus or accompanied by bleeding, the skin around the navel is red and swollen, the umbilical cord is leaking fluid that lasts more than 1 week. In case of fever, poor feeding, parents should not self-treat at home, but need to bring the child to a medical facility for immediate examination for timely and effective treatment. 

Department of Pediatrics, American International Clinic (AIH Clinic) provides a full range of Pediatric medical examination and treatment services, including: General health check-up; vaccination; monitor the physical and mental development of children; nutrition counseling and disease diagnosis and treatment servicesThe pediatric clinic at AIH is divided into two separate areas: an area for healthy children and an area for sick children, for the purpose of patient separation to avoid cross-infection. When children come to the hospital with suspected symptoms of illness, they will be taken to a separate examination area, so that the disease can be selected and isolated from the beginning. 

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Or go directly to AIH Clinic: No. 79, Dien Bien Phu, DaKao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam