Comparative Effects of Using Alcohol, Natural Drying, and Salicylic Sugar Powder on Umbilical Stump Detachment of Neonates

Abstract

This study compares the effectiveness of alcohol, natural drying, and salicylic sugar powder on umbilical separation time of the neonate in our high-humidity region. From September 2007 to May 2008, a total of 143 neonates in a community hospital were divided into 3 groups according to their birth month in sequence. Each umbilical care regimen was randomly assigned to a 3-month period. Data on occurrence of omphalitis and cord separation time were collected by telephone follow-up until stump separation. The salicylic sugar powder group had the lowest rates of colonization and shortest cord separation time compared with the natural drying and alcohol groups. No omphalitis developed in any of the 3 groups. Natural drying and salicylic sugar powder are safe and effective ways to care for the umbilical cord stump in high-humidity regions. Nursing professionals should consider choosing a more effective umbilical care regimen and provide mothers with thorough instruction.

Umbilical cord separation time, predictors and healing complications in newborns with dry care

“…In accordance with our findings on how often the umbilical cord gets wet, results obtained by other authors show that the umbilical cord takes less time to separate when it is dryer [37]. However, others researchers have reported longer cord separation times when the umbilical cord got wet twice a day [15,35], or three times a day [38]. Daily bathing of the newborn also delayed the umbilical cord separation time in other studies [39,40].…”

“…Other researchers have obtained longer umbilical cord separation times, as well as the findings of a mean of 10 days [35] and a median of 11.7 days [15]; these results could be explained by washing the umbilical area twice a day in both studies. Quattrin et al [36] also reported an umbilical cord separation time of 10±4 days.…”

“…Even with the low incidence of omphalitis, the open wound of the umbilical stump remains an entry point for pathogenic bacteria, and the undetached cord stump often worries mothers. Rapid healing of the cord is an important aspect of infection prevention [15]. The dry care method ('keep clean and dry') using only soap and water for umbilical cord care has been recommended by the WHO [11].…”

Two methods of cord care in high-risk newborns

“…In addition to the findings above, this study yielded an unusual finding about flora colonization, including MRSA, which demands the special attention of infection control personnel in NICUs. In healthy infants, S. aureus , CNS, and Streptococcus are major microbial colonizers (Capone et al, 2011; Liu et al, 2012; Medves and O’Briane, 2011). Their numbers could be decreased somewhat with the development of other microbiomes (Capone et al, 2011).…”

Newborn Umbilical Cord Care in Parakou in 2013: Practices and Risks

“…In fact, Shoaeib et al, during a comparative study of three umbilical cord care methods in Alexandria (Egypt) in 2005, found out that the mean time of umbilical cord falling off was longer in the group using alcohol (6.4 ± 2.4 days) compared to dry care (4.7 ± 1.9 days), and traditional care (3.4 ± 0.7 days) [22]. As well, in another comparative study of three care methods at the Shuang Ho university hospital in Taipei in 2008, Liu et al also reported that cord falling off time was shorter in the group using salicylic sugar powder compared to groups using dry care and alcohol-based care [23]. But the decision to make umbilical cord fall off within a record time must not be achieved at any cost without taking into account child well-being.…”