Umbilical cord is the attachment which provides nourishment to the growing baby for whole nine months. A umbilical cord which is freshly cut is the site of bacterial colonization. Such infection is known as Omphalitis which has signs of the local infection such as discharge of pus, redness, foul odor and swelling.

Umbilical Cord Infection:

The cord of umbilical is a dead tissue and gets rotten off slowly. Whenever the skin around the baby’s belly button gets swollen up, red in color, and inflamed it can be the signs for the developing infection. In Case the infection becomes severe it can be a threat for the life too.

The factors which can result in infection of the umbilical cord are:

• If the cord is cut with non sterile instrument then it can result in the infection.
• If baby is kept along with many other babies. In such a case there are chances for the transfer of the disease or infection.
• The infection is commonly found in the premature babies where the immune system is not totally developed to prevent any such infection.

Steps Taken To Avoid Infection:
Few steps must be taken care of to avoid the infection of the umbilical cord. These are:

• The stump of the umbilical and area surrounding it must be kept clean.
• Use of alcohol must be done carefully while using it for cleaning purposes in and around the umbilical.
• Make sure that cord is always exposed to air. This is because exposure to air will minimise the healing time of the umbilical cord.
• The baby must be given a sponge bath till the time the umbilical cord has fallen off.
• Make sure that umbilical cord dries off natural as this is the best way to prevent infection away from it.
• Any kind of redness, swelling, discharge is the indication of some infection. So, if this happens immediate medical aid must be taken.