Does it hurt to cut the baby's umbilical cord?

During a woman's pregnancy, the umbilical cord is an important link between the mother and the baby. After the baby is born, the umbilical cord loses its function, so doctors will use scissors to cut the umbilical cord. Because the umbilical cord is connected to the baby, many people worry about whether cutting the umbilical cord will cause pain to the baby, and are afraid that it will cause harm to the baby's body. Does it hurt when the baby's umbilical cord is cut?

Does cutting the umbilical cord hurt the baby?

It won't hurt.

Because human nerves are divided into two types: "autonomic nerves" and "involuntary nerves". The autonomic nervous system can sense temperature, pain, touch, etc., and these are the nerves that people are more familiar with. Involuntary nerves are not controlled by the brain, and people can hardly perceive their state. Such nerves are mainly distributed inside blood vessels and organs. Such non-autonomous nerves are distributed in the umbilical cord, so the umbilical cord is not sensitive to knife cutting. Therefore, it will not hurt when the umbilical cord is cut when the baby is born. Some doctors describe it as being like cutting nails.

Precautions for baby's umbilical cord care

1. Within 1 week after the baby is born, the umbilical cord stump will generally fall off naturally, and the pregnant mother cannot cut it off by herself.

2. Keep the umbilical cord dry. If your baby's skin gets wet accidentally while bathing, simply wipe it dry with a clean cotton swab.

3. Disinfect with iodine. Disinfect from the center of the navel to the surrounding area in a clockwise direction, once or twice a day.

4. Avoid friction. When using a diaper, do not cover your belly button, you can fold the diaper down a little.

5. Before care, wash your hands thoroughly with hand sanitizer. After rubbing, rinse your hands from fingertips to wrists with running water to ensure that there are no bacteria on your hands.

6. If the skin around the umbilical cord becomes red and swollen, and pus flows out of the umbilical cord stump, it should be promptly handed over to medical staff for treatment. Avoid improper handling which may cause neonatal tetanus and sepsis.