With the birth of a child, numerous questions arise about the care we should take with them, especially in the first days of life. One of these cares is with the navel, as the umbilical stump, which connected the mother to the baby in the womb, remains attached to the newborn for a few days. It needs to be kept clean to avoid infections until it falls off on its own, shortly after the first week of life.
It is recommended that the umbilical area be cleaned with 70% alcohol, readily available at pharmacies. Caregivers are also advised not to use bands, coins, or any other objects or substances on the navel. The area should not be covered, as the umbilical stump needs to dry out to fall off. There is no need to be afraid of cleaning the area, as the baby does not feel any pain. During bath time, the navel will get wet, and it is essential to keep the area dry and clean for proper healing. Therefore, after each bath, dry it well. When cleaning, it is necessary to lift the umbilical stump and clean the entire area around the navel.
To clean, use cotton, a cloth diaper, or a cotton swab. Any of these can effectively remove secretions. Wash your hands thoroughly with neutral soap, scrubbing your wrists and nails well, before sanitizing the 
area.
With Care and Without Fear of Hurting
The housewife Erica Patrícia Basso, 29, has three children: Miguel, 11 years old, César, 7, and Lavínia, 10 months. Now, she is experienced in cleaning the umbilical stump, but with her first child, she was afraid of hurting him. “Doctors say they are dead cells, that they don’t feel pain there, but I still thought it hurt,” she recounts. She remembers receiving guidance from the nurse in the maternity ward and then during the pediatrician’s consultation.
For all three children, she took the opportunity to clean the navel with 70% alcohol during each diaper change, just as recommended. The experience gained from one child to another made her more at ease. “The first child’s stump took a long time to fall off because the cleaning was done very carefully, so it took longer to detach. In fact, it only fell off after we went to a consultation with the pediatrician, and he handled it vigorously,” she recalls.
Infections
The baby needs to be examined by a health professional if the navel shows yellow, foul-smelling, purulent discharge or redness around the umbilical area. But there is no need for panic. Observe if the baby shows any discomfort during cleaning, as this usually does not happen.
If the navel does not heal, some conditions need to be evaluated. In this case, it is important for the child to undergo a medical assessment. For health professionals, it is crucial to provide care in educating mothers about these topics. We must remember that when a child is born, a mother is also born. The health professional needs to understand and empathize with this mother. They have the role of teaching how it should be done, and this is a role that can be fulfilled by all professionals.
Source: blog.saude.gov.br, by Erika Braz