Infant Umbilical Cord: Care Tips and Infection Prevention

Caring for your baby’s umbilical cord stump is an essential part of newborn care. The newborn umbilical cord stump typically falls off within one to three weeks post-birth, but proper care is important to prevent complications.

Quick Tips:

• How to care for the umbilical cord: Keep it clean and dry – avoid covering it with tight nappies or submerging in water.

• When does the umbilical cord fall off? The stump naturally falls off around 5–15 days after birth, though timing varies.

• Normal vs. infected umbilical cord: A normal umbilical cord dries and shrinks before falling off, while signs of an infected umbilical cord include redness, swelling, foul odour or pus.

With the right infant umbilical cord care, your baby’s belly button will heal naturally. Read on for expert tips on keeping the area clean and recognising any warning signs.

What Is the Umbilical Cord Stump?

While you’re pregnant, the umbilical cord is the lifeline connecting your foetus with the placenta, delivering nutrients and oxygen to your little one in the uterus, while also taking away waste products like carbon dioxide.

Soon after your baby is born the cord is clamped and cut. Your newborn doesn’t feel a thing when this happens, as the umbilical cord has no nerves in it.

Medical experts now recommend waiting at least 2 minutes before clamping the umbilical cord. This is called delayed cord clamping. This practice allows for more blood to flow between the placenta and the baby, providing your baby with more iron, which is important for brain development. Your midwife and doctor can provide you with more information on delayed cord clamping and whether it’s recommended for you and your baby.

Once the cord is cut, it leaves a stump about 2 to 3 centimetres long, in the place where your baby’s belly button will be.

At first, the umbilical cord stump will still have a small plastic clamp on it, to prevent bleeding. This clamp may be removed by medical staff when the stump has dried, or it may be left on until the stump falls off.

Whether the clamp is removed or not depends on the policy of your hospital or birthing centre. Your midwife or doctor can tell you what the facility’s procedures are.

If the clamp is removed, you may be offered it as a keepsake. If you’d like to keep your infant’s umbilical cord clamp as a memento, it’s a good idea to let your midwife know beforehand and make a note of it in your birth plan, if you have one.

When Does the Umbilical Cord Stump Fall Off?

The umbilical cord stump gradually gets darker and falls off within around 5 to 15 days after your baby’s birth.

After the umbilical cord stump comes off, it may take about another 7 to 10 days for your newborn’s belly button to heal completely.

The cord stump can take longer to fall off if there’s an infection or your baby is being treated with antibiotics. Ask your midwife, health visitor or doctor for advice if you think it’s taking too long.

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Umbilical Cord Healing Stages

As we mentioned above, once the clamp is removed from the umbilical cord, a small stump will remain attached to your infant’s belly button.

The stump will dry up and shrink before it falls off naturally. You will likely see it change colour from yellowish to brown or black as it shrinks. Don’t try to remove the stump yourself.

When the stump falls off, don’t worry if you notice a small mound of sticky discharge where the cord was attached to your baby’s skin – this is perfectly normal and may continue for a few days after the stump falls off. If you wish, you can gently clean this area with water; however, it’s also fine to leave it unless the area comes into contact with stool or urine.

So, how long will your baby’s belly button take to heal? If you keep your little one’s belly button dry and clean, including if it's an outie belly button, it will likely heal in about 7 to 10 days. Contact your baby’s doctor, midwife or health visitor if it hasn't healed within two weeks of the umbilical cord stump falling off or if you notice any of the signs of infection listed in our section below. 

Take a look at our visual below to see the process of healing for your little one’s umbilical cord stump.

How to Care for and Clean the Umbilical Cord Stump

Caring for your newborn baby's umbilical cord stump may seem a little daunting at first, but it's important to remember that the key is to keep the area clean and dry. With a little practice, you'll soon feel confident in managing it!

The ideal times to check your little one's stump and gently clean the area around it are when their nappy is off, particularly during bath time or nappy changes. We will explain these situations in more detail further down.

Here are some general newborn umbilical cord care tips to follow:

• Keep the umbilical cord stump clean and dry. The cord stump itself doesn’t need cleaning unless it’s contaminated with poo or urine. Even then, just use a little plain water to wash it off – there’s no need for soap, creams or ointments. Ask your midwife or health visitor for advice if you’re not sure what to do.

• Prevent irritation. Try to prevent your newborn’s nappies from rubbing against the umbilical cord stump by folding the top of the nappy down below the naval area. You could also choose to use a disposable nappy that has a contoured, naval-friendly shape or cut-out notch in the waistband. Pampers Premium Protection New Baby nappies have this feature, making them a great choice for your newborn.

• Check for signs of infection. A little clear liquid oozing from the stump can be normal, but if you notice signs of infection like redness of the skin around the stump or a yellow discharge from the stump itself, let your midwife, health visitor or doctor know immediately. 

• Don’t pick or pull at the stump. The best advice is to avoid touching it at all unless necessary. Let the umbilical cord stump fall off on its own rather than picking or pulling it, even if it’s hanging off. It will fall off by itself when it’s good and ready – in other words, when the skin underneath is healing well. 

• Always wash your hands. Get into the habit of always washing your hands before and after caring for your baby. This can help reduce the risk of the umbilical cord stump becoming infected.

• Keep an eye out for bleeding. When the stump falls off, a few drops of blood is probably nothing to worry about. If you notice any more bleeding than this from your baby’s belly button, tell your midwife, health visitor or doctor right away. 

• Expose the cord stump to air. Give your infant as much time as you can with nothing at all covering their umbilical cord stump. This helps the stump heal more quickly by keeping it free of moisture.

Bath Time and Umbilical Cord Care

Until the stump falls off and your baby’s belly button heals, give your baby sponge baths or shallow baths and be careful not to immerse the cord stump in the water. If the stump does accidentally get wet, don’t worry – just be sure to dry it carefully afterwards.

If you don’t feel confident about bathing your baby while the umbilical cord stump is still in place, it’s fine to just ‘top and tail’ your little one until the belly button has healed, to avoid soaking the stump in water.

To do this, get everything ready that you’ll need, such as: 

• a bowl of warm water

• a towel

• cotton wool, or a wet cotton swab/cotton ball

• a fresh nappy

• clean clothes. 

Then, follow these steps:

• Lay your baby down on a padded flat surface — like the changing pad on the changing table, or on the floor on a soft towel — with your supplies within reach. Never leave your baby unattended during the sponge bath. If they are on a raised surface, such as the changing table, keep a hand on your little one at all times, as well as using the safety strap.

• Keep your little one snug and warm in a towel, exposing only the parts of the body that are being washed.

• Dip the cotton wool in the water and start by wiping gently around each eye, using a fresh piece of cotton wool for each eye.

• Using another fresh piece of cotton wool, clean around but not inside your baby’s ear, then wash the rest of your little one’s face, neck and hands in the same way.

• For the umbilical cord stump area, wet a piece of cotton wool to clean the skin around the stump area, being careful not to get the stump itself wet.

• Next, remove the nappy and wash the bottom and genital area. Again, use fresh cotton wool and warm water. If your baby’s a girl, always wipe the genitals from front to back. If he’s a boy, there’s no need to pull back the foreskin.

• Dry the skin thoroughly, being careful to include between the folds of the skin. 

Nappies and Umbilical Cord Care

During these first few weeks, it’s important to be extra careful to protect the area around the umbilical cord stump.

If the cord stump hasn’t fallen off yet, use nappies with a contoured, navel-protection waistband or fold down the top of the nappy to stop the nappy from irritating the stump. 

Nappy changes are a good time to inspect the umbilical cord stump and carefully clean the area around it with a wet swab or cotton wool ball – making sure to let it dry properly afterwards.

You can read about how to change a nappy here.

Signs of an Infected Umbilical Cord Stump

An infection in the umbilical cord stump is unlikely; however, it’s important to be aware of a normal vs. infected umbilical cord. If you notice any of the following signs of infection, let your midwife, health visitor or doctor know straight away:

• A foul-smelling yellow or green discharge from the stump area 

• A reddening of the skin around the stump 

• Bleeding from the base of the stump

• Swelling of the navel area

• Your baby not feeding well or showing other signs of illness such as a fever or seeming generally out of sorts

• Your baby crying when you touch the stump, indicating it is tender or sore. 

Umbilical Cord Conditions

These are two common conditions associated with the umbilical cord or belly button area. Consult your doctor, midwife or health visitor if you think your baby may have either of these:

• Umbilical granuloma. After the cord falls off, you may notice a reddish moist lump near where the cord fell off that may leak clear fluid. Your doctor or midwife may suggest salt treatment if it isn’t infected. In this case, it will usually go away after a few days. If it’s infected, antibiotics may be prescribed.

• Umbilical hernia. If you notice that your baby’s belly button bulges out when they cry, they could have an umbilical hernia. This is a little hole in the abdominal wall that allows tissue to bulge out when there is pressure, such as when your little one cries. An umbilical hernia will often heal by itself by the time your child is around 12 months old. If it hasn’t gone away by the time your child is 3 or 4 years old, a very minor operation may be needed to ‘repair’ the hole in the abdominal wall.

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Contact your infant’s doctor, midwife or health visitor if the umbilical cord stump has not fallen off after 3 weeks; if you notice active bleeding (more than a few drops); your baby develops a fever; or if you notice signs of infection listed above, such as yellow pus or discharge, a foul smell from the area or swelling and redness.

You should also contact a medical professional if you notice signs of an umbilical granuloma or umbilical hernia (see the section above).

The Bottom Line

Within a few weeks after your baby is born, what remains of the umbilical cord will fall off to reveal your baby’s cute little belly button. This is just one of the first of many exciting milestones ahead.

Although you’re no longer physically connected to your baby by an umbilical cord, that little tummy button can be a great reminder of how close the bond still is between you. 

If you haven’t already, download the Pampers Club app, which offers discounts and rewards on all your favourite Pampers products – helping you to save whilst caring for your little one’s nappy area.

_{How we wrote this article The information in this article is based on the expert advice found in trusted medical and government sources, such as the National Health Service (NHS). You can find a full list of sources used for this article below. The content on this page should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult medical professionals for full diagnosis and treatment.}