When using an umbilical cord tie it is recommended you follow the NHS umbilical cord care advice, the guidelines below are taken from Umbilical Cord Care Guideline Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust. It is helpful to follow this NHS advice after baby is born.
The umbilical cord should be left to separate naturally.
Minimal handling of cord and surrounding area to cut down the risk of cross infection.
Keep the cord clean and dry, and leave alone unless contaminated with urine or faeces.
Clean and pat dry if necessary with plain water and gauze, do not use cotton wool, there is no need to use antiseptic lotions or powders.
Leave cord open to air.
Clothes should be clean and loose fitting to allow air to circulate.
Fold nappy down below cord to aid separation and prevent contamination from stool/urine.
It is not necessary to bathe the baby every day. A ‘top and tail’ wash will allow the cord to stay dry.
At each nappy change examine the cord and umbilicus for signs of infection.
(Umbilical Cord Care Guideline V 2.0 Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust, 2018)
