UMBILICAL STUMP CARE IN NEWBORNS: IS BREAST MILK AS EFFECTIVE AS CONVENTIONAL METHODS

The umbilical cord is a natural site for bacterial colonization, and insufficient care could lead to omphalitis, sepsis, or delayed separation. While antiseptics and dry care are broadly used, breast milk utilization remains common in many cultures due to its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.

To compare the effect of breast milk utilization, open dry care, soap-and-water cleansing, and alcohol application in terms of cord separation time and omphalitis incidence.

A prospective randomized trial of 200 healthy newborns (1-7 days old) was assigned to one of four cord care methods (n=50 each). Infants were observed until cord separation, and omphalitis was identified based on clinical findings. Mean and median separation times and infection rates were compared using ANOVA, Chi-square, and non-parametric tests.

The Baseline demographics variables did not differ significantly among groups. Omphalitis rate was similar in all groups: breast milk (4.25%), open dry care (6.6%), soap and water (4.5%), and alcohol (2.17%) (P=0.931). Mean separation times ranged from 11.8±3.2 days (soap and water) to 14.5±5.8 days (open dry care). ANOVA showed a borderline group difference (F(3,178) =2.67, p=0.049). Post-hoc testing showed a significantly shorter cord separation time in the soap-and-water group, in contrast with open dry care; all other comparisons were non-significant.

No statistically significant differences in omphalitis incidence were identified among breast milk utilization, soap-and-water cleansing, alcohol application, and open dry care. Soap-and-water cleansing leads to faster and more consistent umbilical cord separation than open dry care.