Caring for Your Newborn’s Belly Button
Key takeaways:
Most babies lose their umbilical stump when they're about 1 week old.
The stump may bleed a little as it starts to detach, but that’s normal and doesn’t cause pain.
The stump can get infected, but this is rare. If the skin around your baby’s umbilical stump gets red, oozy, or painful — call your healthcare provider immediately.
If you have a newborn, your mind is probably racing with a million questions. One of those might be about your baby’s umbilical stump — the dried piece of the umbilical cord that’s still attached to your baby’s navel.
If you’re curious about the umbilical stump — you’re not alone. Along with newborn baby poop, the umbilical stump gets a lot of attention. If you have questions, concerns, or just want to verify advice you may have heard, here’s everything you need to know about your baby’s umbilical stump.
What does the healing process for a newborn’s belly button look like?
Here’s the quick version: A newborn’s belly button heals over about 2 or 3 weeks. The belly button is actually a scar that forms when the umbilical cord separates from the baby’s body. So thinking of the umbilical stump as a scab can help you decide if your baby’s belly button is healing the right way.
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Understanding the function of the umbilical cord can help to get a bigger picture of the healing process. The umbilical cord connects the developing baby to the mother’s placenta. Oxygen and nutrients flow from the placenta through the blood vessels inside the umbilical cord to help the baby grow. A few minutes after the baby is born, these blood vessels clamp down and basically cave in on themselves. This stops blood from flowing between the placenta and the baby.
Shortly after a baby is born, a healthcare provider clamps and cuts the umbilical cord. This physically separates the baby from the placenta. Some people opt for a lotus birth in which the cord isn’t clamped or cut. But even with a lotus birth, the blood vessels clamp down a few minutes after birth and stop working.
After the umbilical cord doesn’t have a blood supply anymore, it starts to dry up. You’ll notice that the stump becomes darker and stiffer as it dries. Once it’s completely dry, it will separate from your baby’s navel.
Most cords fall off in about 7 days. But some fall off much sooner. If your baby’s stump hasn’t separated by the time they’re 3 weeks old, talk to your healthcare provider. This could be a sign of an immune condition.
Once the cord detaches, you’ll see the underlying Wharton’s jelly — a gooey remnant of the umbilical cord. It will look yellow or white but shouldn’t smell. Wharton’s jelly dries up over a few days, and your baby’s belly button will be totally healed about a week later.
How do you care for a newborn’s belly button?
Taking care of your baby’s healing belly button is actually pretty easy. You just need to keep it dry!
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In the past, healthcare providers and caregivers used to clean the stump with dyes or isopropyl alcohol to prevent infection. But research showed that this wasn’t necessary in the U.S. because infection risk was so low due to public sanitation.
Now all you really need to do is keep it clean and dry, and then let it fall off naturally. Here are some tips to help with cord care:
Handling: The umbilical stump isn’t painful because there are no nerves in the umbilical cord. But there are nerves on your baby’s skin — so be gentle as you touch and move the cord, just like when you change your baby’s diaper.
Cleaning: Luckily, babies are pretty clean. But pee and poop can get on the stump, especially during diaper changes. If this happens, clean the area with soap and water. Let the cord air-dry afterward. You don’t need to use isopropyl alcohol or other chemicals to disinfect the area.
Bathing: Don’t fill your baby’s infant tub with water until the cord separates. A real bath will get the cord wet. Instead opt for a sponge bath with a wet washcloth. Most newborns only need 1 or 2 baths per week. The cord will fall off in about a week, so you’ll only need to do this a few times.
Diapers and clothes: Keep your baby’s diaper edge folded down, so it doesn’t cover or irritate the umbilical stump. If it’s warm enough, you can expose the stump to air, or just cover it with a thin shirt. The cord will shrivel up and fall off faster if it stays dry.
What are some signs that my baby’s belly button isn’t healing properly?
When the umbilical stump comes off, it’ll still be another week before your baby’s belly button looks like a “regular” belly button. That’s because the skin is still healing. So how do you know if there’s a problem? Let’s take a look at things that can happen as the belly button heals.
Infection
Infection can occur until the belly button heals. But this is very uncommon in the U.S. because of public sanitation. Still, it does happen sometimes. Some signs of infection are:
A bad smell coming from the stump
Redness of the skin around the stump
Pain or crying when touching the area
Fever
An infected umbilicus is a medical emergency. If you think your baby’s stump may have an infection, call your healthcare provider right away. It’s best to be safe and have a healthcare provider check out your baby.
Umbilical granuloma
Sometimes after the cord falls off, granulation tissue forms. This tissue is part of a normal healing process, but some babies develop more of this tissue than they really need. This forms an umbilical granuloma.
Umbilical granulomas are the most common type of belly button problem, and they’re harmless. It can look pink and may ooze some white or yellow discharge. Many granulomas will heal by themselves. If they don’t go away, your healthcare provider can apply silver nitrate (an antiseptic) to help the area heal.
Umbilical polyps and cysts
In addition to blood vessels, the umbilical cord contains tubes that help a baby get rid of waste. Sometimes the connection between these tubes and the baby’s intestines or bladder doesn’t close completely. So growths like umbilical polyps and cysts develop.
A surgeon can remove polyps and cysts with a short procedure.
Bleeding
The stump may bleed a bit as it detaches — this is normal. You can wipe the blood away with a warm washcloth. There should only be a very small amount of blood, which should stop quickly. If your baby’s stump oozes more than a little bit of blood, call your healthcare provider. Your provider will apply medication to stop the bleeding. They may check your baby for a bleeding condition.
The bottom line
Belly buttons take a few weeks to heal completely. Most umbilical stumps fall off in about 7 days, but the belly button won’t look “normal” for about a week afterward. Your newborn’s belly button doesn’t need a lot of specialized care — just keep it clean and dry. If you think your baby’s umbilical stump might be infected, call your healthcare provider immediately to address this medical emergency.
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References
Basta, M., et al. (2021). Anatomy, abdomen and pelvis, umbilical cord. StatPearls.
Kim, D. H., et al. (2020). Differential diagnosis of umbilical polyps and granulomas in children: Sonographic and pathologic correlations. Ultrasonography.
López-Medina, M. D., et al. (2020). Umbilical cord separation time, predictors and healing complications in newborns with dry care. PLOS ONE.
Quattrin, R., et al. (2016). 70% alcohol versus dry cord care in the umbilical cord care. Medicine.
Razvi, S., et al. (2001). Delayed separation of the umbilical cord attributable to urachal anomalies. Pediatrics.
Stewart, D., et al. (2016). Umbilical cord care in the newborn infant. Pediatrics.
Zinsser, L. A. (2018). Lotus birth, a holistic approach on physiological cord clamping. Women and Birth: Journal of the Australian College of Midwives.
