Midwifery: umbilical cord care in pre-term babies

A trial was undertaken to investigate infection rates and to measure cord separation time under four different cord care regimes in pre-term babies within the Neonatal Unit of Ninewells Hospital, Dundee. The evidence of the trial suggests that the present method of treating umbilical cords in pre-term babies with Sterets and Ster-zac powder is sound. More importantly, there is good evidence that a policy of leaving umbilical cords untreated cannot be recommended as safe practice within the unit. It is noted that the numbers in this trial (about 100) were not large, but the trial did run for a full year. Any further trials would need to be multicentered to obtain a larger sample set in a reasonable amount of time.