Help for injured umbillical cord stump?

[daisymommy]

Poor little Hannah. Her cord was healing very nicely for about a week, until it either got bumped or snagged on her clothing--not sure which one. And now it has been bleeding a few drops here and there--nothing major--from beneath the outer hardened cord area. Has anyone ever experienced this? What should I do? My mother who was a nurse awhile ago says just to keep it clean and it will heal on it's own, but I have to wonder if there is something else that can or should be done in a doctor's office?

[elephantmeg]

That happened to me too. I think it got caught on the velcro from his cloth diaper one day... I kept cleaning it and then when it got to the point where it was hanging on by just half of the stump I trimmed it down with a pair of scissors. Just keep an eye on it, if it turns red or has a discharge then take her in...

[dr mom]

I agree with your mom - gently clean it during diaper changes and keep a little bit of antibacterial ointment (bacitracin or polysporin, both over the counter) on the stump itself to minimize the risk of infection. It should heal fine on its own. If you notice pus, a foul odor, or redness spreading from the cord stump, then I would take her to the doctor to check for an infection.

On a humorous note, I once had a first-time mom bring her week-old baby to the emergency room, along with the umbilical cord stump in a ziploc bag. It had fallen off and she was worried that we might need to reattach it. Apparently that part hadn't been very well explained when she left the hospital. :)

Congrats on your newest addition, and welcome baby Hannah!