Question
How many days after birth will a newborn’s umbilical cord fall off? My premature baby is showing some symptoms, and I’m worried.
Answer
Generally speaking, a baby’s umbilical cord will turn black, harden, and eventually fall off within 1 to 2 weeks after birth. If your baby is premature, this process may take a bit longer. As long as there are no signs of redness, swelling, or pus formation indicating infection, you don’t need to worry too much. You can use alcohol or iodine to clean your baby’s umbilical cord pouch to keep the area dry, which can help speed up the falling off of the umbilical cord and promote healing.