The navel of the newborn should be treated until it finally heals. In no case should you interrupt this procedure, since it is very important for the health of the baby. If you leave the navel unattended, there may be various consequences, including blood poisoning. Since it is very simple to process the navel of a newborn, the fears of young mothers that they may not be able to cope with these chores are groundless.
Proper navel handling
The navel of a newborn is processed twice a day, procedures are performed in the morning and in the evening. You will need: brilliant green, a solution of hydrogen peroxide, a pipette and cotton buds. Well, a couple of thoroughly washed hands. Dip a cotton swab in peroxide, soak the crusts on the wound with it and carefully remove them. If it seems to you that with the help of the wand it turns out badly, or the child is sharply reacting to manipulations, you can wet the wound with a pipette. When the whole crust is removed, you should wipe the wound with a cotton swab dipped in brilliant green. If there is no brilliant green, alcohol or a five percent potassium permanganate solution will do . Do not use iodine for this operation. When you work on the navel’s surface, even if you have such an opportunity, you should not try to “look deep” into it with a wand, and moreover, you should not pick out anything by making efforts. By such actions you will achieve the exact opposite of the expected result, instead of accelerated healing, you will receive a significant slowdown in the speed of this process.
The navel in a newborn is bleeding
It is considered normal if the navel is bloody for the first few days, this fact should not bother you. It is worth worrying only in cases where redness appears around the wound, an unpleasant odor arises, or purulent discharge begins . For any of these abnormalities, you should immediately call a doctor. If there are no problems, then after a couple of weeks a wonderful navel will form on the site of the healed wound.
Sometimes during the healing process, the abdomen in the area around the umbilical cord can slightly rise. Do not be scared if there are no visual signs of an inflammatory process. A good sign that the navel of the newborn has healed is a test with peroxide, if the liquid has stopped foaming, then everything is in order.
Navel care
Inexperienced mothers can try to put a patch on the wound, you should not do this, since this tool can interfere with the access of air. And if there is no normal ventilation, then be surprised at that fact. that a navel in a newborn baby gets wet , just stupid. In order for this to not happen, you should choose clothes made from natural materials.
It is better to choose special diapers - for newborns, they have a cutout for the belly button. They will not rub the wound, and a special top layer will cover the entire umbilical zone and protect against infection.
The diapers should be ironed every time after washing, this is a simple and convenient way to kill the pathogenic microflora.
In the case when even after two weeks the navel still does not heal, you should definitely call a doctor for consultation. It happens that healing occurs in the usual way, but since each child is individual, the healing period can shift both up and down. After the examination, the doctor will definitely inform you whether everything is in order and whether you need to change anything in the list of procedures.
Despite the fears of young parents, the navel of the newborn normally tolerates bathing. But there are a few simple rules that you should not forget.
It is better not to add potassium permanganate to the bath; it dries the skin very much. You can, of course, get water for bathing from a faucet, but still it will be better if you take boiled water.
At the end of water procedures, be sure to dry the navel and process. This mandatory procedure after each bath is extremely important, with its help you will reliably protect your child from infections.