Cord Care Basics

Your baby’s umbilical cord should fall off by 8 weeks of age on average. Some hospitals do no recommend putting alcohol on the cord anymore. We recommend that at every diaper change, you use a cotton swab and rubbing alcohol to clean the cord and the area between the cord and the skin.

Do not give your baby a full immersion bath until the cord falls off. These measures will help prevent the cord developing a foul odor. If your baby’s cord does begin to smell bad or the skin around the cord becomes red and warm, give us a call.