Key takeaways: Use “dry cord care”: keep the stump clean and dry, fold the diaper below it, and stick to sponge baths until it falls off. Alcohol isn’t needed. Most stumps fall off within 1 to 3 weeks. Redness spreading around the navel, foul-smelling drainage, or fever need a call.
After birth, your baby’s umbilical cord is clamped and cut, leaving a small stump. Over the next one to three weeks, it dries out, turns from yellowish-green to brown or black, and falls off on its own. Caring for it is simpler than many parents expect.
Dry Cord Care
The AAP recommends dry cord care for healthy newborns born in hospitals in the United States and other high-resource settings. That means:
- Keep it clean. If the stump gets dirty with urine or stool, gently clean it with plain water and pat it dry.
- Keep it dry. Air helps it dry and fall off. Leave it uncovered as much as possible.
- Fold the diaper down. Fold the top of the diaper below the stump, or use newborn diapers with a cord cutout.
- Dress your baby in loose clothing so the stump isn’t rubbed.
- Give sponge baths rather than tub baths until the stump falls off and the area has healed.
What About Rubbing Alcohol?
For years, parents were told to swab the cord with alcohol. Research shows alcohol doesn’t prevent infection better than dry care, and it may slow healing. It’s no longer recommended for routine care. In some low-resource settings with high infection rates, the World Health Organization recommends chlorhexidine for cord care, but that isn’t the routine U.S. recommendation.
When Will It Fall Off?
Most cords fall off between 5 and 15 days after birth, though up to 3 weeks can be normal. Don’t pull on it, even if it’s hanging by a thread. When it separates, you may see:
- A few drops of blood.
- A small amount of clear or yellowish, sticky fluid.
- A slightly moist, raw-looking spot that heals over a few days.
Keep the area clean and dry until it’s fully healed.
From the author
From First Breath to First Birthday is my month-by-month guide to your baby’s first year, written as a NICU and postpartum nurse. My book covers everyday newborn care month by month, plus the warning signs that mean it’s time to call the doctor.
What’s Normal
- The stump changes color from yellowish to brown, gray, or black as it dries.
- A small amount of crusting at the base.
- A mild odor as the tissue dries (but not a strong, foul smell).
- A tiny bit of blood when the stump catches on a diaper or separates.
Umbilical Granuloma
Sometimes, after the stump falls off, a small, moist, pink or red lump of tissue remains in the belly button. This is called an umbilical granuloma. It’s common and isn’t dangerous, but it may ooze clear or yellowish fluid. Your baby’s doctor can treat it, often with a quick, painless application of silver nitrate or table salt.
Umbilical Hernia
Some babies have a soft bulge at the belly button that gets bigger when they cry or strain. This is an umbilical hernia, caused by a small opening in the abdominal muscles. It’s especially common in premature babies and Black infants. Most close on their own by age 4 or 5. Taping coins or using belly bands isn’t recommended and can irritate the skin. Mention it at your baby’s checkup.
Call your baby’s doctor if you notice:
- Redness or swelling spreading onto the skin around the navel.
- Warmth or tenderness around the belly button.
- Pus or cloudy, foul-smelling drainage.
- Bleeding that is more than a few drops or doesn’t stop with gentle pressure.
- A stump that hasn’t fallen off after about 3 weeks.
- Fever (100.4°F or higher rectally), poor feeding, or unusual sleepiness.
These can be signs of omphalitis, an infection of the umbilical stump that needs prompt treatment.
The Bottom Line
Your baby’s cord stump needs very little care: keep it clean and dry, fold the diaper down, and let it fall off on its own. Watch for spreading redness, foul-smelling drainage, and fever.
For more on newborn health and when to call the doctor, see my book From First Breath to First Birthday.
Related Articles
- How to Bathe a Newborn Safely: Sponge Baths to Tub Time
- Caring for a Circumcised (or Uncircumcised) Penis
- Baby Massage: Benefits and How to Start
- Delayed Cord Clamping: What It Is and Why It Matters
Sources
- Stewart D, Benitz W; Committee on Fetus and Newborn. Umbilical cord care in the newborn infant. Pediatrics. 2016;138(3):e20162149.
- World Health Organization. WHO Recommendations on Postnatal Care of the Mother and Newborn. Geneva: WHO; 2013.
- World Health Organization. WHO Recommendations on Maternal and Newborn Care for a Positive Postnatal Experience. Geneva: WHO; 2022.
- Imdad A, Bautista RM, Senen KA, et al. Umbilical cord antiseptics for preventing sepsis and death among newborns. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;(5):CD008635.
- Daniels J, Craig F, Wajed R, Meates M. Umbilical granulomas: a randomised controlled trial. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2003;88(3):F257.
- Zens T, Nichol PF, Cartmill R, Kohler JE. Management of asymptomatic pediatric umbilical hernias: a systematic review. J Pediatr Surg. 2017;52(11):1723-1731.
This article is for general education and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Always talk with your baby’s health care provider or your own provider about your specific situation. If you think your baby or you may have a medical emergency, call 911.
