Once you’ve delivered your baby, the phlebotomist cuts and clamps the umbilical cord (along with the umbilical cord blood) to separate you from the baby, and the blood gets collected for umbilical cord blood banking. However, at the same time, the healthcare practitioner will advise you to be very vigilant with your baby’s belly button. As, infections and bleeding on the belly button are some of the key concerns for you, at this moment.
Besides germs and infections that might be affecting the cord, there is another problem that will need your caring eyes, and that is, an umbilical granuloma.
What Is Umbilical Granuloma?
1 out of 500 new-borns develop umbilical granuloma, during the first few weeks of a baby’s birth1.
This is basically a tissue growth, in the belly button. After the umbilical cord is cut in your baby, umbilical granuloma looks like a small red bump, covered in yellow or clear discharge.
It’s rare that, an adult might develop an umbilical granuloma. However, navel piercing, might turn out to be one of the most common causes of a painful umbilical granuloma in adults.
What Causes Umbilical Granuloma?
When the umbilical cord is cut, a small stump left in the belly button, which normally dries up and falls off on its own. However, sometimes, when the belly button is healing, after the falling of the umbilical cord, an umbilical granuloma is formed, which looks like a red lump in your baby’s navel.
How is a baby affected from Umbilical Granuloma
These granulomas may not trouble your baby too much, but since granulomas, (stuck to umbilical cord opening), continue to grow quickly and along with it the infection also starts spreading, your baby might be faced with several health problems – she might be feeling an irritation on the skin around the belly button and fever, till such time that they are carefully treated. So, to mainly keep the infection from spreading, they would definitely require medical attention.
What Are The Home Remedies For Umbilical Granuloma Treatment?
- Keep the belly button clean and dry
- Clean it with soap and warm water
- Keeping the belly button exposed to air can be helpful
- Keeping the front part of the diaper rolled down can help
- Keep the baby away from the bathwater, till such time that the granuloma is completely healed
What Are Medical Ways To Treat Umbilical Granuloma
If the granulomas get infected, your baby needs to be taken to the doctor right away. Only a doctor would know what to use for umbilical granuloma treatment.
- The doctor might silver nitrate on the umbilical granuloma. Silver nitrate will burn off the tissue. But, during the process, your baby will not feel any pain or anything
- The doctor might alternately use liquid nitrogen, which is cold. It tends to freeze the lump and dissolve the tissue away completely.
- In many cases, the doctor might tie off the granuloma with suture thread to cut off blood flow to the lump. It will dry up and disappear in due time.
- Learn how to apply salt to the granuloma safely. The doctor will first advise you to clear the mucus and put salt on it to dry it out.
- Finally, surgery will help stop the infection from spreading
To Conclude
Take care of your baby’s belly button, after it’s cut off. And if you see bleeding, rash, fever and your baby seems to be in pain, consult the doctor immediately.