The umbilical cord connects the mother and fetus during pregnancy, delivering oxygen and nutrients. Once clamped and cut, it leaves a small stump that naturally detaches as the newborn adjusts to life outside the womb. Understanding the stages of healing helps demystify this process before the remnant transforms into the final navel.
The Umbilical Cord Stump Healing Process
The stump remaining after the cord is cut has no nerve endings, making its detachment painless for the baby. Initially, the stump appears yellowish-green and shiny, but this quickly changes as the drying process begins. Care during this stage focuses on keeping the area clean and dry to encourage detachment and prevent infection. Folding the diaper below the stump helps expose the area to air, which aids in drying.
As the days pass, the stump begins to shrivel and change color, moving from its initial hue to brown, gray, and eventually black and crusty. This color change is a normal sign that the tissue is dying and separating from the body. The stump typically falls off naturally between one and three weeks after birth, though variations in this timeline are common. It is important to allow the stump to detach on its own to avoid delaying the healing underneath.
Appearance of a Fully Healed Navel
Once the stump has detached, it reveals the navel, which should be dry and fully closed. Immediately after separation, the area may look slightly red or raw, and sometimes a small amount of clear or blood-tinged fluid may ooze out. This slight discharge is normal and will resolve as the skin fully seals over the next week or two. Keep the newly formed navel clean and dry until it is completely healed.
The resulting shape of the navel, whether it is an “inny” (inward) or an “outie” (protruding), is determined by how the skin healed beneath the stump. This shape is unrelated to how the cord was cut or cared for. A fully healed navel will be smooth skin with a slight pucker or scar tissue where the cord was attached. The final appearance is a natural variation of the skin’s closure process and does not reflect success or failure in cord care.
Recognizing Normal vs. Abnormal Healing
While the drying and changing colors of the stump are normal, certain signs indicate the need for medical evaluation. A healthy healing site should not display spreading redness or swelling on the skin surrounding the base of the stump. Parents should also watch for any discharge that is cloudy, yellowish, or has a foul odor, as these can be symptoms of omphalitis. This condition is rare but requires prompt antibiotic treatment.
A persistent, moist, reddish-pink lump that forms after the stump falls off may be an umbilical granuloma. This is an overgrowth of scar tissue that may secrete a small amount of clear or yellow fluid. While generally benign, a granuloma will not dry up like normal skin and often requires treatment with silver nitrate by a pediatrician to resolve. Any signs of a fever, lethargy, poor feeding, or continuous bleeding that lasts more than a few minutes should also prompt an immediate call to a healthcare provider.