How do i care for my baby's umbilical stump?

No special care: Today no special care for newborns umbilical cords are recommended.

Keep it clean & dry: Keeping your baby's umbilical stump clean and dry will facilitate healing, drying, and the eventual "falling off" of your baby's cord. Keep the area around the stump clean by only using warm water and washcloth when needed. Keep it dry by only sponge bathing until the cord falls off and folding your baby's diaper below the stump. Rubbing alcohol is not necessary.

Keep it dry: Keep it dry until it falls off. Fold the diaper down so it doesn't cover the stump, and use sponge baths instead of tub baths. If you see any redness in the skin around the stump, contact your pediatrician.

Swab once a day: Swab around the base (the very bottom) of the umbilical stump, once a day, with a cotton swab moistened with rubbing alcohol. A couple of days after the stump has fallen off, no more care is needed. Any unusual odor from the navel, new redness around the navel, or liquid leaking from the navel, should be reported to the doctor that day.