Question
A 26-day-old baby, when straining to push up their belly, appears to have a hole at the umbilical cord area with a milky substance inside, but the baby is not crying and can eat and sleep normally. How should one handle the situation if the baby’s umbilical cord has not fully healed?
Answer
After birth, newborns typically see the cord stump fall off naturally within 5 to 7 days. Some babies may take longer to shed, or there may be slight bleeding and oozing at the base. These situations only require enhanced umbilical cord care to avoid infection at the root. When the cord falls off and the base is dry, it indicates that the umbilical cord has healed well. Generally, the umbilical cord heals within 7 to 10 days after birth, but some babies may take longer. As long as there are no signs of redness and swelling at the umbilical cord root, there is no need to be overly concerned.