Umbilical Bleeding in Newborns.
The umbilical cord is the most beautiful bond between the mother and the fetus throughout pregnancy.
After birth, the cord is cut and a small piece is left, which we call the cord stump, which falls within 10 to 14 days.
Umbilical cord hemorrhages are very common and the most common reason is that the cord will fall off and drop a few drops of blood, which is normal and very common and nothing to worry about.
In the event that the bleeding continues and does not stop, or redness or local warmth around the navel, or a yellow liquid, or if the child feels pain as soon as he touches the navel … the nearest doctor should be consulted.
- Recommendations:
1- Clean and dry the skin of the area
2- Don’t keep touching the cord and avoid getting injured.
3- Postponing the bath until the cord falls, and in the event of a shower, dry the area well.
4- Cleansing the cord with hexamidine once or twice, and not using a lot of antiseptics, because it will delay drying and thus delaying the fall of the cord.
5- Don’t dress the cord tightly, even if a thin thread remains, because it predisposes to bleeding.
6- Refer to the nearest doctor in case of redness and continuous bleeding or the exit of pus.
Mouth, Hand and Foot disease
It is a very common disease in children, the majority of which are simple and easy, caused by a type of coxsackievirus.
It is characterized by ulcers in the mouth and a rash on the palms of the hands and feet
It generally appears in the summer and fall periods. It has no specific treatment and usually goes away automatically within a week to 10 days.
Pain relievers, antipyretics, and special pain-relieving sprays can be used.
Adults may not get sick but are able to pass the virus on to children who will then get sick.
Cradle Cap
It is a greasy layer of yellow scaly skin that appears on the scalp and can increase and thicken to become flakes of dandruff.
It may also appear on the face, forehead and around the nose, as well as in the armpits and diaper area, and it is called seborrheic eczema.
These peels do not cause any itching or discomfort to the child.
The reason is not known exactly, but it is believed that the hormones that remain in the body of the newborn from pregnancy cause this.
It is important not to try to remove the scales with the nails, as this leads to an increase in the formation of the scales, and removing them may leave painful spots.
How to treat?
1- Some cases respond to washing the baby’s hair with a baby shampoo regularly/daily.
2- In the event that there is no improvement, a gentle baby oil or olive oil can be applied to the scalp and left for 15-20 minutes until the skin becomes soft and the scales sticking are relieved by rubbing them with a soft hair brush, after which the baby’s hair is washed with baby shampoo.
Fetal coating – vernix caseosa
It is a protective layer made up of fetal skin cells and fat accumulated on the skin and contains a group of fatty substances and cholesterol.
It starts forming around the 18th week of pregnancy
Benefits:
1- It has antibacterial properties that protects the newborn from infections after birth, because the oily coating contains antioxidants, anti-infective and anti-inflammatory properties
2- Facilitate the birth process
3- Regulating the child’s body temperature during pregnancy and after birth.
4- Maintaining the baby’s skin and keeping it moist and soft, and reducing the chances of baby being exposed to cracks that affect the skin as well as dehydration.
Experiments have proven that the ideal period during which the fetus should remain protected by the cheesy coating is from 24 to 48 hours only. Then he undergoes his first bath using baby soap.
