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The umbilical stump is the final souvenir of your baby’s stay in the womb. The stump is around 2 to 3 cm long and will eventually dry and fall off. But a lot of worried first-time mothers are keen to know how long will it take for their baby’s umbilical cord stump to fall off and how to take care before and after it falls off. Continue reading to know all about this.
The placenta, which supplies oxygen and nutrients from you to the baby in the womb, is connected to the baby through the umbilical cord. The umbilical cord has two slap arteries and one large vein. It has no nerves in it. After delivering the baby, your doctor clamps and clips the umbilical cord. As there are no nerves, neither the baby nor the mother feels pain during this procedure. After being clamped and cut, a stump of tissue stays attached to the baby’s belly button known as umbilical cord stump. The umbilical cord stump will ultimately fall off, leaving a permanent mark- the belly button.
After the baby is born, the umbilical stump usually dries up (at the beginning, it appears purplish blue or bluish white and turns black once it has dried up) and drops off in about 7 days to 21 days, leaving a small red, raw-looking spot that will heal in a few days
Both the umbilical stump and the scar that is left behind after the umbilical stump is fallen off should be taken care of carefully as there are chances of infection.
Also read: Caring For Your Baby’s Umbilical Stump In Monsoon
Until the umbilical cord stump of your baby falls off, take the following precautions:
The umbilical cord infection, if neglected, can turn out to be a life-threatening infection called omphalitis. Therefore, seek medical attention if the child develops following signs and symptoms:
After your b aby’s umbilical stump falls off, it is quite natural to see a little swelling of the bellybutton or discharge of a small amount of clear or yellow fluid tinged with blood for a short period. However, taking care of the area after umbilical cord falls off is important to avoid any infections.
Even though it is normal to see blood or discharge in the area after the stump is fallen off, you should seek the advice of the doctor if the belly button area discharges smelly pus or the adjoining skin becomes red and swollen.
It will take around a week to 10 days for the small wound to heal that has occurred after the umbilical cord stump has fallen off.
An umbilical granuloma is a damp, reddish lump of tissue that remains on a baby’s belly button after the umbilical cord has dried and fallen off. An umbilical granuloma does not cause any pain. It may discharge a small amount of fluid. Usually, it goes away by itself but your doctor can easily treat this minor infection.
The umbilical cord stump was believed to a significant part of the baby. In olden days, dais and maalishwaalis used to massage in an around the stump with oil. But remember that your baby’s umbilical stump and the area around is very sensitive so without checking with your doctor, refrain from doing any such practice as it could lead to an infection.
A lot of traditional and religious belief were attached to umbilical cord stump. Some of the popular ones include:
Remember all these are mere religious beliefs and don’t have any truth attached to it.
Do you have any such religious beliefs to share with us? How did you take care of your baby’s umbilical cord stump? How long did it take for your baby’s stump to fall off? Do share your experiences in the comment section below.
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