Is bleeding in newborn umbilical cord dangerous?

Bleeding from the umbilical cord of a newborn is usually not a cause for concern. Therefore, when the baby has bleeding in the umbilicus, parents need to calmly find a way to stop the bleeding and clean the baby's umbilical cord properly.

The umbilical cord is responsible for providing nutrients and oxygen to the fetus while in the womb. When a newborn is born, the baby no longer needs the umbilical cord to provide nutrients. So the doctors will cut the umbilical cord. After that, the umbilical cord will slowly dry out and fall off. However, there are many cases where the baby's umbilical cord is bleeding, which makes parents extremely worried. 

Why do newborn umbilical cords bleed?

The cause of newborn umbilical cord bleeding is usually because the umbilical cord of the newborn is peeling and bleeding

Newborn umbilical cord bleeding is a fairly common phenomenon, especially during the baby's umbilical cord loss or 1 week after the umbilical cord falls off. The cause of bleeding in the umbilical cord of a newborn is usually because the umbilical cord is peeling and oozing blood. In addition to blood, during umbilical cord shedding, the umbilical cord may also secrete a little yellow or green fluid, resembling pus.

If the umbilical cord is bleeding but hasn't fallen off, it could be due to:

• The navel is scratched by the diaper rubbing against the navel. Or it could be because you accidentally rub too hard when caring for and cleaning the umbilical cord of a newborn.
• Due to improper care creates conditions for bacteria and viruses to attack, causing the navel to become infected. This condition is common if your baby's umbilical cord bandage is too tight or the umbilical cord is wet. 

Newborn umbilical cord bleeding is okay?

Newborn umbilical cord bleeding is usually not serious. Parents only need to hold the navel with a clean gauze to stop the bleeding. After that, parents need to take care of it properly, after a few days the navel will heal on its own.

Newborn umbilical cord bleeding is not usually serious

However, if the child encounters one of the following cases, parents need to quickly take the child to see a doctor for timely treatment:

• Even after applying compression for more than 10 minutes, the navel was still bleeding.
• The navel is bleeding, has an unpleasant odor, and the surrounding skin is red. Parents should not be subjective because the child's wound may be infected and affect the baby's health.
• Newborn babies appear unusual symptoms such as fever , fussiness, refusal to breastfeed, ...

How to care for a newborn baby's umbilical cord bleeding

When the baby's umbilical cord is bleeding, parents need to calmly observe whether there is a bad smell or unusual discharge. If the child only has light bleeding, the treatment is very simple. Parents just need to stop the bleeding and properly clean the baby as follows:

• Parents can use a cotton swab or clean gauze to gently press the navel area to stop the bleeding. It should be done gently and slowly to avoid hurting the baby, or causing more bleeding.
• After the bleeding is stopped, parents need to keep the skin around the navel cool and should not be covered with a bandage. Because when the air is ventilated, the baby's umbilical cord will heal faster.
• Children should wear loose-fitting and sweat-wicking clothing. Parents should avoid wearing clothes that are too tight for the baby because it can cause rubbing against the navel causing bleeding.
• Parents should change their baby's diaper often. Note that diapers should be placed under the navel to avoid bacteria in urine and feces from entering the open wound and causing infection.

Keep the diaper under the navel to prevent bacteria in urine and feces from entering the open wound and causing infection

• Do not bathe your baby in water for too long. And after bathing, use a clean towel to dry the navel area. The wet environment around the navel must be limited because it will create conditions for bacteria to grow.
• Parents should not use soap, detergents or folk remedies in the process of cleaning the baby's umbilical cord. Because, the baby's navel area is very sensitive to these products. They can cause irritation, or even inflammation, which slows healing. Therefore, parents only need to use physiological saline to clean the baby's navel.
• Let the navel fall off naturally. Especially when the navel is about to fall off, parents should not exert force to pull the umbilical cord. 

In addition, in order to prevent the baby's umbilical cord from bleeding, parents also need to pay attention in the process of cleaning the baby's umbilical cord . While the navel heals after falling, parents also need to avoid picking up the plaque on the navel. In particular, do not arbitrarily use folk remedies that are transmitted that can help the baby's navel heal quickly.

Hopefully through this article, parents know how to handle when the baby's umbilical cord is bleeding. When children encounter this condition, parents need to calm down and observe if there are any unusual symptoms. If not, parents can take care of their child's wound carefully at home.