Management of the umbilical cord--a guide to best care

Updating cord care, using evidence-based research, is the best way forward for midwives everywhere. Only then, can we teach women to care for their infants in the safest possible way. This will not only avoid confusion, but also will lead to continuity of care and reduced infection rates. Lastly, but not to be underestimated, is cost-effectiveness. Savings can be made as a result of the reduced need to use antiseptic products. Added to this is the potential savings to be made in midwives' time, which is the most expensive commodity in the care of mother and baby. At present, extra visits are usually as a direct result of cord separation problems. Finally there is the cost, both financial and emotional, of neonatal mortality and morbidity, as a result of omphalitis.