Umbilical Cord Care: Day by Day, from Birth Until It Falls Off

At the maternity ward, you were shown the little stump of umbilical cord, held by a clamp, and the midwife cleaned it in two quick moves. Back home, grandmother suggests a coin on the belly button, an aunt talks about alcohol, a neighbour about powder. Who should you believe?

The answer from health authorities is simpler than all these recipes: a clean, dry cord, and patience. Here is the daily routine, what is normal day by day, what to avoid, and the signs that should make you see a doctor.

Why is "clean and dry" care the rule?

Because the cord needs nothing else to dry out and fall off. As early as 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended "clean and dry" care for babies born in a maternity unit. In its 2022 recommendations, it reserves antiseptic (chlorhexidine) for regions where harmful traditional substances, such as animal dung, are commonly put on the cord: it is then used to replace those dangerous practices.

Alcohol is not necessary, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) specifies, and the Quebec guide Mieux vivre avec notre enfant advises against it: it delays the cord falling off. If the maternity ward or your paediatrician prescribed a specific product, follow their instructions and ask them your questions.

Cord care, step by step

1. Wash your hands before touching the cord.
2. Clean gently. The Quebec guide advises cleaning the folds around the cord every day with a cotton bud dipped in lukewarm water. The UK's NHS washes around the cord only if it is soiled with urine or stools.
3. Dry carefully with a dry cotton bud. The cord must stay dry.
4. Fold the nappy below the belly button, so urine does not wet the cord and it stays in the open air, as the Quebec guide and the AAP advise.
5. Do not cover the cord: no gauze, no dressing, no band.
6. Never pull on it, even if it is hanging by a thread.

This care does not hurt your baby, the Quebec guide specifies. After the bath, dry the area well. Tips for bathing a newborn safely are in our bath and bathtub guide, and the other daily care in our article on newborn bath time and hygiene.

Day by day: from birth until the cord falls off

Based on the Quebec guide Mieux vivre avec notre enfant and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The ranges vary a little from one source to another: between 1 and 3 weeks according to the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS), around 3 weeks at the latest according to the AAP. In every case, keep cleaning and drying the belly button until it has healed well.

From the shop

For baby's first care

Cotton clothes that do not squeeze the tummy, nappies to fold below the belly button, a thermometer to check for fever and a changing mat to care for your baby safely.

• −74 %Pureté du bébé3-piece cotton set, 3M, beige 02 220 – Pureté du bébé153 DHinstead of 590 DHView product
• −48 %Safety 1stArctic newborn baby care kit, 8 pieces – Safety 1st156 DHinstead of 300 DHView product
• −48 %Green TribuEco-friendly baby nappies, size 2, 3-6 kg, x28 – Green Tribu61 DHinstead of 118 DHView product
• −48 %Pasito a PasitoBohemian changing mat, blue – Pasito a Pasito286 DHinstead of 550 DHView product
• −48 %ChiccoHygiene Set toiletry kit, blue, from birth – Chicco270 DHinstead of 520 DHView product
• The whole aisle · Baby care kits14 products online, delivered anywhere in Morocco.Open the aisle

Products sold by La Maison du Bébé, publisher of this magazine. Prices as of 12 October 2026; please check the product page.

Coin, band, kohl: what do the sources say about our traditions?

These practices come from a tender intention: to protect the belly button, to help it "close properly". Yet medical sources say they do not help, and that some carry a risk.

A coin or sticky tape on the belly button. The AAP is explicit: do not put a coin or sticky tape on a baby's belly button. It does not help, even with a hernia, and can irritate the skin.

A tight band around the tummy. It covers the cord, whereas all sources ask you to leave it in the open air so it dries. A bodysuit or a cotton outfit that does not squeeze is enough.

Kohl, powders, oils. A medical thesis defended in Fez in 2014 reports that kohl is sometimes applied to newborns to speed up the cord falling off. But kohl can contain a lot of lead: in Quebec, two samples analysed after cases of child poisoning contained 78% and 92%, according to the Institut national de santé publique du Québec. Lead is toxic to the developing brain. On the cord, then, you put nothing but water, if needed.

During the sbou3, the celebration on the seventh day, visitors come one after another: this is the time to ask, kindly, that people wash their hands before holding your baby, and do not touch the cord. Our article on the sbou3 and aqiqa gives other ideas for enjoying this celebration calmly.

Cord infection: the signs to know

Infection of the cord, called omphalitis, is rare, but it must be treated quickly. The signs described by the Quebec guide, the CPS and the AAP:

• redness that appears or spreads on the skin around the cord;
• swelling around the belly button;
• a discharge, especially yellowish or purulent;
• a bad smell;
• a baby who cries when the area is touched;
• a fever, from 38 °C, in a newborn.

In a newborn, a fever always calls for quick medical advice: our article on fever in babies gives the guidelines.

Umbilical granuloma: the little lump after the cord falls off

Sometimes, after the cord falls off, a small red or brownish lump stays at the bottom of the belly button and oozes a clear yellow fluid. This is an umbilical granuloma, harmless scar tissue described by the AAP. It often goes away within about a week. If not, the paediatrician can dry it out with a small treatment at the surgery.

Umbilical hernia: the belly button that sticks out

A belly button that bulges, especially when your baby cries, is often an umbilical hernia: a small gap in the tummy muscles lets a little tissue push through. The NHS reminds us that many babies are born with one, that it is generally painless and that it measures from the size of a pea to about 2 cm.

It most often closes by itself. The timeframes vary by source: 12 to 18 months in general for the AAP, before age 5 for the NHS. Surgery is considered only if it is very large or persists, around 3 to 5 years according to the AAP. And, once again, a coin strapped on the belly button does not help it close.

A hernia that is more swollen than usual, hard, painful or changing colour is, however, an emergency, especially if your baby vomits or no longer passes stools or wind, the NHS warns.