What should be used to disinfect the baby's belly button?

Generally speaking, after the baby is born, the doctor will cut the baby's umbilical cord short. If the baby's umbilical cord is not properly cared for, it is easy to have some umbilical cord problems, such as inflammation or bleeding of the umbilical cord, which will affect the baby's health. In order to prevent the baby's umbilical cord infection, what should be used to disinfect the baby's belly button? Here are some good methods to disinfect your baby’s belly button.

First, you need to prepare the supplies, including several cotton swabs and a bottle of 75% alcohol. Then wash your hands thoroughly. Before caring for your baby, you must rub your wrists to fingertips with soap for about 20 seconds to achieve the sterilization effect.

Take a cotton swab, dip it in 75% alcohol (completely soak it for best effect), pull up the baby's umbilical cord with your hand to expose the root (frequently pulling the baby's umbilical cord can accelerate the rupture), then wipe from the root of the umbilical cord to the top, and finally expand to the skin around the navel.

Disinfect twice using the same method.

If your baby has a dry belly button and is in good condition, you can put on a diaper after completing the first three steps. However, if the baby's umbilical cord is infected and there is a smelly or unidentified discharge, you should consult a doctor.

Newborn baby belly button care method

Stage 1: Before the umbilical cord falls off

When the umbilical cord is cut, a wound is formed, which is an important portal for bacteria to invade the newborn's body. In mild cases, it can cause omphalitis, and in severe cases, it often leads to sepsis and death. Therefore, disinfection and care of the umbilical cord is very important. Generally, the gauze bandage should be opened and no longer bandaged 24 hours after the baby is born to promote the drying and falling of the umbilical cord stump. When handling the umbilical cord, wash your hands, pinch the umbilical cord, lift it gently, and use a 75% disinfectant alcohol cotton swab to disinfect the base of the umbilical cord. Wipe off all secretions and blood. Do this 1 to 2 times a day to keep the base of the umbilical cord clean. At the same time, diapers must be changed frequently to prevent urine and feces from contaminating the navel.

Before the umbilical cord falls off, the area needs to be kept clean and dry, especially the diaper should not cover the navel to avoid wetting the navel wound after urination. Always check whether there is any bleeding outside the gauze bandage. If bleeding occurs, it needs to be re-ligated to stop the bleeding. If there is no bleeding, just wipe the base of the umbilical cord with a 75% alcohol cotton swab every day and wait for it to fall off naturally.

Stage 2: After the umbilical cord falls off

After the umbilical cord falls off, there will often be a small amount of exudate in the navel fossa. At this time, you can use a 75% alcohol cotton swab to clean the navel fossa and then cover it with sterilized gauze. It is recommended that newborn babies whose umbilical cords have just fallen off use sponge baths without getting the belly button wet. The baby should not go into the water. The mother should wring out half-dry gauze and gently wipe the baby's body. After the wound has healed completely, the baby can be given a water bath, but the baby should not be put directly into the water. Instead, a bath bed should be placed on the bathtub and the baby can sleep on it while being bathed. When the baby is 5 or 6 months old and can sit, you can put the baby directly in the water to wash.

In addition, there are some specific details that must be paid attention to when caring for a newborn's umbilical cord.

1. Mothers must wash their hands when caring for the umbilical cord area to prevent bacteria on their hands from infecting the baby's navel.

2. When bathing your baby, do not let the umbilical cord get wet before it falls off. If you allow your baby to swim during the newborn stage, be sure to use waterproof stickers.

3. Never use gentian violet. Some babies' belly buttons do not fall off for a long time, or pus forms after falling off. Some elderly people use gentian violet to wipe the baby's umbilical cord in order to dry it. This method was often used in the past, but it is not recommended in medicine now because the drying effect of gentian violet is limited to the surface, while the drying effect of iodine tincture dries from the inside out.

4. Within 24 hours after the umbilical cord is tied, parents should closely observe whether there is any bleeding. Some newborn babies may have a small amount of exudate or bleeding due to the loosening of the umbilical cord. If you find that the gauze covering the umbilical cord is stained with blood or soaked, you should immediately ask the doctor to disinfect and re-ligate it.

5. Wipe twice a day with an iodine cotton swab, once in the morning and once in the evening. When wiping, lift the small string at the umbilical cord ligation site with one hand, and use a cotton swab dipped in iodine to thoroughly wipe the place where the umbilical cord is connected to the flesh with the other hand. And bandage with sterile gauze. Change the dressing regularly afterwards. If the cotton swab is dirty, replace it in time. Do not use a dirty cotton swab to wipe repeatedly, as this will cause infection and inflammation.

6. But be careful not to sprinkle "anti-inflammatory powder" on the navel to prevent infection. If there is purulent secretion in the umbilical fossa, the surrounding skin is red, swollen, and hot, and the child has anorexia, vomiting, fever, or no increase in body temperature (rectal temperature is lower than 35 degrees Celsius), it indicates omphalitis and the child should go to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment immediately.