{"id":1881,"date":"2026-02-02T21:49:57","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T20:49:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mascothealthcare.com\/blog\/?p=1881"},"modified":"2026-06-12T22:41:52","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T21:41:52","slug":"newborn-cord-care-how-to-care-for-your-babys-umbilical-cord-safely","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mascothealthcare.com\/blog\/newborn-cord-care-how-to-care-for-your-babys-umbilical-cord-safely\/","title":{"rendered":"Newborn Cord Care: How to Care for Your Baby\u2019s Umbilical Cord Safely"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Newborn Cord Care: How to Care for Your Baby\u2019s Umbilical Cord Safely<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The umbilical cord is a vital connection between mother and baby during pregnancy. After birth, a small stump of the cord remains attached to the baby\u2019s tummy. Proper cord care is very important in the first few weeks of life to prevent infection and ensure healthy healing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is the Umbilical Cord Stump?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After delivery, the umbilical cord is clamped and cut, leaving a short stump attached to the baby\u2019s abdomen. This stump usually dries up, shrivels, and falls off on its own within <strong>7\u201314 days<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Care for the Cord Stump<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Good cord care is simple but must be done correctly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Keep the cord clean and dry<\/strong><br>If the cord gets dirty, gently clean it with clean water and allow it to air-dry.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Do not apply substances<\/strong><br>Avoid applying cow dung, herbs, toothpaste, ash, alcohol, powder, oils, or any home remedies. These increase the risk of infection.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Expose the cord to air<\/strong><br>Fold your baby\u2019s diaper below the cord to keep it dry and prevent urine from touching it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sponge baths only<\/strong><br>Until the cord falls off, clean your baby with sponge baths rather than immersing them in water.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Let it fall off naturally<\/strong><br>Do not pull or force the cord stump, even if it looks like it\u2019s about to fall off.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is Normal?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is normal to notice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A darkening or drying cord stump<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A small amount of dried blood when the cord falls off<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These usually heal on their own without treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Warning Signs of Cord Infection<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Seek medical care immediately if you notice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Redness or swelling around the cord<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pus or foul-smelling discharge<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bleeding that does not stop<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fever or excessive crying<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Warmth or tenderness around the cord area<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Early treatment can prevent serious complications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When to See a Doctor<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the cord has not fallen off after <strong>3 weeks<\/strong>, or if you notice any signs of infection, your baby should be examined by a healthcare professional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final Thoughts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Proper newborn cord care helps protect your baby from infection and supports healthy healing. Keeping the cord clean, dry, and free from harmful substances is the safest approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you have any concerns about your newborn\u2019s cord or general baby care, speak with a qualified healthcare provider for guidance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Newborn &amp; Maternal Care in Lagos<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">New baby? Mascot Healthcare Clinic in Akoka (Yaba), Lagos offers newborn checks, cord-care guidance, immunizations, and postnatal support for mum and baby. Walk-ins welcome, Mon&ndash;Sat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/mascothealthcare.com\/female.php\">Book a Newborn Check<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Medically reviewed by <strong>Dr. Ibiloye Iretioluwa (MB.ChB, Ife)<\/strong> &mdash; Mascot Healthcare Clinic, Akoka, Lagos.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Newborn Cord Care: How to Care for Your Baby\u2019s Umbilical Cord Safely The umbilical cord is a vital connection between mother and baby during pregnancy. After birth, a small stump of the cord remains attached to the baby\u2019s tummy. Proper cord care is very important in the first few weeks of life to prevent infection [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1882,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[802,803,804],"class_list":["post-1881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-child-and-adolescent-health","tag-cord","tag-tetanus","tag-umbilical-cord"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/mascothealthcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Umbilicalcord-150x150.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/mascothealthcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Umbilicalcord-196x300.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/mascothealthcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Umbilicalcord.jpg","large":"https:\/\/mascothealthcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Umbilicalcord.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/mascothealthcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Umbilicalcord.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/mascothealthcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Umbilicalcord.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"mascothealthcare","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e6245491479ada5c011d746103e188e52935679f353558c771f24bdf2eb1c016?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":false,"magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"Newborn Cord Care: How to Care for Your Baby\u2019s Umbilical Cord Safely The umbilical cord is a vital connection between mother and baby during pregnancy. After birth, a small stump of the cord remains attached to the baby\u2019s tummy. Proper cord care is very important in the first few weeks of life to prevent infection [&hellip;]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["Child and Adolescent Health"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":357,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":3,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/mascothealthcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Umbilicalcord.jpg",640,981,false],"medium":["https:\/\/mascothealthcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Umbilicalcord-196x300.jpg",196,300,true],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/mascothealthcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Umbilicalcord-150x150.jpg",150,150,true]},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"mascothealthcare","author_link":"https:\/\/mascothealthcare.com\/blog\/author\/mascothealthcare\/"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e6245491479ada5c011d746103e188e52935679f353558c771f24bdf2eb1c016?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"<a 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Severe Abdominal Pain \ud83d\udd34 When\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Medical Treatments and Procedures&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Medical Treatments and Procedures","link":"https:\/\/mascothealthcare.com\/blog\/category\/medical-treatments-and-procedures\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"pregnant woman","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mascothealthcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/640px-Pregnant_woman_third_trimester_of_pregnancy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mascothealthcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/640px-Pregnant_woman_third_trimester_of_pregnancy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mascothealthcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/640px-Pregnant_woman_third_trimester_of_pregnancy.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":784,"url":"https:\/\/mascothealthcare.com\/blog\/faq-understanding-3d-and-4d-ultrasounds-of-intrauterine-babies\/","url_meta":{"origin":1881,"position":1},"title":"FAQ: Understanding 3D and 4D Ultrasounds of Intrauterine Babies","author":"mascothealthcare","date":"June 24, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Q1: What is a 3D ultrasound? 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In Lagos, where maternal healthcare challenges exist, ultrasound scans play a critical role in ensuring safe pregnancies and healthy babies. 5 Essential Reasons for Pregnancy Ultrasounds in Lagos 1. Confirms Pregnancy Viability Verifies the baby is developing in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Women's Health&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Women's Health","link":"https:\/\/mascothealthcare.com\/blog\/category\/womens-health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"sacn","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mascothealthcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Gemini_Generated_Image_6gro4r6gro4r6gro.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mascothealthcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Gemini_Generated_Image_6gro4r6gro4r6gro.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mascothealthcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Gemini_Generated_Image_6gro4r6gro4r6gro.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mascothealthcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Gemini_Generated_Image_6gro4r6gro4r6gro.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mascothealthcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Gemini_Generated_Image_6gro4r6gro4r6gro.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mascothealthcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Gemini_Generated_Image_6gro4r6gro4r6gro.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1449,"url":"https:\/\/mascothealthcare.com\/blog\/top-10-abnormalities-detected-in-an-anomaly-scan\/","url_meta":{"origin":1881,"position":3},"title":"Top 10 Abnormalities Detected in an Anomaly Scan","author":"mascothealthcare","date":"June 18, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The anomaly scan, also known as the mid-pregnancy ultrasound or detailed fetal scan, is usually performed between 18 and 22 weeks of pregnancy. 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