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When does cord fall off


Umbilical Cord Symptoms

Is this your child's symptom?

  • Umbilical cord or navel questions about newborns
  • The navel is also called the belly button or umbilicus

Symptoms

  • Umbilicus (navel) has a cloudy discharge or even some dried pus on the surface
  • Bleeding occurs from cord's point of separation
  • Separation of cord is delayed past 3 weeks

Omphalitis: Serious Complication

  • Definition. Bacterial infection of the umbilical stump with spread to the skin around it. It's a medical emergency.
  • How Often. 1 out of 200 newborns.
  • Symptoms. Redness spreads around the navel. The area may be tender, swollen and have a foul odor.

Umbilical Granuloma: Minor Complication

  • Definition. Small round growth in center of navel after the cord falls off. It's red. Covered with clear mucus. Not dry like normal skin.
  • How Often. 1 out of 500 newborns.
  • Outcome. Usually grows in size if not treated. Can become an entry point for umbilical infections.
  • Treatment. Easily treated in the doctor's office by putting on a chemical called silver nitrate.

Dry Cord Care or Alcohol Cord Care

  • The AAP and ACOG both advise dry cord care (natural drying). (Guidelines for Perinatal Care, 2012). It has become common practice in US hospitals.
  • The book advises against using alcohol for routine umbilical cord care.
  • Alcohol cord care is advised in less developed countries with high infection rates.

When to Call for Umbilical Cord Symptoms

Call Doctor or Seek Care Now

  • Age less than 1 month old and looks or acts abnormal in any way
  • Bleeding won't stop after 10 minutes of direct pressure applied twice
  • Spot of blood more than 2 inches (5 cm) across
  • Red streak runs from the navel
  • Red skin spreads from around the navel
  • Fever in baby less than 12 weeks old. Caution: do NOT give your baby any fever medicine before being seen.
  • You think your child needs to be seen, and the problem is urgent

Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours

  • Small bleeding lasts more than 3 days
  • Pimples, blisters or sores near navel
  • Lots of drainage (such as urine, mucus, pus) from the navel
  • You think your child needs to be seen, but the problem is not urgent

Contact Doctor During Office Hours

  • After using care advice for 3 days, navel is not dry and clean
  • Small piece of red tissue inside the navel
  • Cord stays attached more than 6 weeks
  • You have other questions or concerns

Self Care at Home

  • Normal cord care
  • Normal navel care after cord falls off
  • Minor infection of cord or navel
  • Normal bleeding from cord or navel
  • Normal delayed separation of the cord after 3 weeks

Seattle Children's Urgent Care Locations

If your child’s illness or injury is life-threatening, call 911.

  • Bellevue
  • Everett
  • Federal Way
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Care Advice

Treatment for Normal Umbilical Cord

  1. What You Should Know About Normal Umbilical Cords:
    • Normal cords don't need any special treatment.
    • Just keep them dry (called dry cord care or natural drying).
    • Reason: Cords need to dry up, before they will fall off.
    • As they dry up, cords normally change color. They go from a shiny yellowish hue, to brown or gray.
    • The cord will normally fall off between 1 and 3 weeks.
    • Here is some care advice that should help.
  2. Normal Dry Cord Care:
    • Check the skin around the base of the cord once a day.
    • Usually the area is dry and clean. No treatment is needed.
    • If there are any secretions, clean them away. Use a wet cotton swab. Then dry carefully.
    • You will need to push down on the skin around the cord to get at this area. You may also need to bend the cord a little to get underneath it.
    • Caution: Don't put alcohol or other germ killer on the cord. Reason: Dry cords fall off sooner. (Exception: instructed by your doctor to use alcohol).
  3. Bathing:
    • Keep the cord dry. Avoid tub baths.
    • Use sponge baths until the cord falls off.
  4. Fold Diaper Down:
    • Keep the area dry to help healing.
    • To provide air contact, keep the diaper folded down below the cord.
    • Another option for disposable diapers is to cut off a wedge with a scissors. Then seal the edge with tape.
  5. Poop on Cord:
    • Getting some poop on the cord or navel is not serious.
    • If it occurs, clean the area with soap and water.
    • This should prevent any infections.
  6. Call Your Doctor If:
    • Develops a red streak or redness around belly button
    • Fever occurs
    • Your baby starts to look or act abnormal
    • You think your child needs to be seen

Treatment for Normal Navel After Cord Falls Off

  1. What You Should Know About Navels After the Cord Falls Off:
    • The cord can't fall off too early.
    • The average cord falls off between 10 and 14 days. Normal range is 7 to 21 days. Even if it falls off before 7 days, you can follow this advice.
    • After the cord has fallen off, the navel will gradually heal.
    • It's normal for the center to look red at the point of separation.
    • It's not normal if the redness spreads on to the belly.
    • It's normal for the navel to ooze some secretions.
    • Sometimes the navel forms a scab. Let it heal up and fall off on its own.
    • The navel has a small risk of becoming infected.
    • Here is some care advice that should help.
  2. Normal Navel Care:
    • Keep the navel (belly button) clean and dry.
    • If there are any secretions, clean them away. Use a wet cotton swab. Then dry carefully.
    • Do this gently to prevent any bleeding.
    • Caution: Don't use any rubbing alcohol. Reason: can interfere with healing.
  3. Bathing:
    • After the cord falls off, continue sponge baths for a few more days.
    • Help the belly button area dry up.
    • Then, tub baths will be fine.
  4. Fold Diaper Down:
    • Keep the navel dry to help healing.
    • To provide air contact, keep the diaper folded down below the navel.

  5. What to Expect: The belly button should be healed and dry by 7 days.

  6. Call Your Doctor If:
    • Develops a red streak or redness around belly button
    • Fever occurs
    • Cloudy discharge occurs
    • Your baby starts to look or act abnormal
    • You think your child needs to be seen

Treatment for Minor Infection of Cord or Navel

  1. What You Should Know About a Minor Infection of Cord or Navel:
    • The belly button will ooze secretions for several days.
    • Normal secretions are clear or blood tinged mucus.
    • A cloudy discharge is usually a mild infection.
    • This can be from normal skin bacteria.
    • A small amount of pus may be present.
    • Here is some care advice that should help.
  2. Clean the Navel:
    • Clean the navel (belly button) 2 times a day.
    • Use a wet cotton swab or cloth.
    • Clean away any dried secretions or pus.
    • Do this gently to prevent any bleeding.
    • Caution: Don't use any rubbing alcohol. Reason: Can interfere with healing.
  3. Antibiotic Ointment for Pus:
    • If any pus is present, use an antibiotic ointment (such as Polysporin).
    • No prescription is needed.
    • Put a tiny amount on the belly button.
    • Do this 2 times per day after the area has been cleaned.
    • Do this for 2 days. After that, use the antibiotic ointment only if you see more pus.
  4. Bathing:
    • Do not use tub baths until the cord falls off. The navel should be well healed.
  5. Fold Diaper Down:
    • Keep the belly button dry to help healing.
    • To provide air contact, keep the diaper folded down. Keep it below the cord and belly button.
  6. What to Expect:
    • With treatment, the cloudy discharge and pus should be gone in 2 to 3 days.
    • The navel should become dry and healed by 7 days.
  7. Call Your Doctor If:
    • Develops a red streak or redness around the belly button
    • Fever occurs
    • Cloudy discharge not gone after 3 days of using this care advice
    • Your baby starts to look or act abnormal
    • You think your child needs to be seen

Treatment for Normal Bleeding Around Cord

  1. What You Should Know About Mild Bleeding Around the Cord:
    • A few drops of blood are normal when the cord falls off or catches on something.
    • The diaper rubbing against the belly button may make it start up again.
    • Here is some care advice that should help.
  2. Bleeding:
    • To stop bleeding, put direct pressure on the navel for 10 minutes. Use a clean cloth.
    • Clean the area beforehand, rather than afterwards.
    • Reason: This helps prevent bleeding from starting back up.
  3. Diaper:
    • Prevent the diaper from rubbing on the belly button.
    • Do this by folding the diaper down away from the belly button.
    • You can also cut a wedge out of the diaper.
  4. What to Expect:
    • The bleeding may come back a few times.
    • It should only be a small smear of blood.
    • The bleeding site should heal up by 2 days.
  5. Call Your Doctor If:
    • Bleeding gets worse
    • Few drops of blood lasts more than 3 days
    • Your baby starts to look or act abnormal
    • You think your child needs to be seen

Treatment for Normal Delayed Separation of the Cord Beyond 3 Weeks

  1. What You Should Know Cords Falling Off:
    • Most cords fall off between 10 and 14 days. Normal range is 7 to 21 days.
    • All cords slowly fall off on their own.
    • Continue to be patient.
    • Here is some care advice that should help.
  2. Stop Alcohol:
    • If you have been using rubbing alcohol to the cord, stop doing so.
    • Rubbing alcohol can kill the good bacteria that help the cord fall off.
  3. Diaper:
    • Help the cord dry up faster by keeping the diaper folded below it.
    • Another approach is to cut out a wedge of the diaper (if disposable).
    • Air contact helps the cord stay dry.
  4. Call Your Doctor If:
    • Cord starts to look infected
    • Fever occurs
    • Cord is still on for more than 6 weeks
    • Your baby starts to look sick or act abnormal
    • You think your child needs to be seen

And remember, contact your doctor if your child develops any of the 'Call Your Doctor' symptoms.

Disclaimer: this health information is for educational purposes only. You, the reader, assume full responsibility for how you choose to use it.

Last Reviewed: 12/08/2022

Last Revised: 01/13/2022

Copyright 2000-2022. Schmitt Pediatric Guidelines LLC.

Umbilical cord care in newborns: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

URL of this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001926.htm

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When your baby is born the umbilical cord is cut and there is a stump left. The stump should dry and fall off by the time your baby is 5 to 15 days old. Keep the stump clean with gauze and water only. Sponge bathe the rest of your baby, as well. Do not put your baby in a tub of water until the stump has fallen off.

Let the stump fall off naturally. Do not try to pull it off, even if it is only hanging on by a thread.

Watch the umbilical cord stump for infection. This does not occur often. But if it does, the infection can spread quickly.

Signs of a local infection at the stump include:

  • Foul-smelling, yellow drainage from the stump
  • Redness, swelling, or tenderness of the skin around the stump

Be aware of signs of a more serious infection. Contact your baby's health care provider immediately if your baby has:

  • Poor feeding
  • Fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher
  • Lethargy
  • Floppy, poor muscle tone

If the cord stump is pulled off too soon, it could start actively bleeding, meaning every time you wipe away a drop of blood, another drop appears. If the cord stump continues to bleed, call your baby's provider immediately.

Sometimes, instead of completely drying, the cord will form pink scar tissue called a granuloma. The granuloma drains a light-yellowish fluid. This will most often go away in about a week. If it does not, call your baby's provider.

If your baby's stump has not fallen off in 4 weeks (and more likely much sooner), call you baby's provider. There may be a problem with the baby's anatomy or immune system.

Cord - umbilical; Neonatal care - umbilical cord

  • Umbilical cord healing
  • Sponge bath

Esper F. Postnatal bacterial infections. In: Martin RJ, Fanaroff AA, Walsh MC, eds. Fanaroff and Martin's Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 48.

Nathan AT. The umbilicus. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 125.

Taylor JA, Wright JA, Woodrum D. Newborn nursery care. In: Gleason CA, Juul SE, eds. Avery's Diseases of the Newborn. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 26.

Wesley SE, Allen E, Bartsch H. Care of the newborn. In: Rakel RE, Rakel DP, eds. Textbook of Family Medicine. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2016:chap 21.

Updated by: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

What to do with USB warnings in iTunes

If you see an "iPhone timed out" message while syncing with iTunes, or if your device turns off unexpectedly, this may indicate a problem with your USB cable connection.

Use the steps in this article if your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch device disconnects while syncing, or if you experience one of the following problems:

  • When you sync or back up your device, you get the message "Link to iPhone has been reset."
  • 'iPhone has timed out while syncing'.
  • iTunes error 2001-2011 is displayed while updating or restoring.
  • An "unknown error" occurs during synchronization.

Learn what to do if iTunes doesn't recognize your device.

Testing connections

Follow these steps to test the connection between the device and the computer. Before you begin each action, open the Home screen on your iPhone. You may need only one of them to fix the problem, so check the connection after performing each step.

  1. Disconnect the device, then reconnect.
  2. Check that the connection cable connected to the device or computer is connected and securely connected.
  3. Make sure the device is not connected to a third party battery or case, USB hub, or keyboard. Connect the device directly to one of the computer's USB ports.
  4. Restart your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.
  5. Download the latest version of iTunes.
  6. Check for software updates.
    Mac: Please update the software.
    On a PC: Get updates from Microsoft.
  7. Learn what to do if your iOS device displays the "Connect to iTunes" screen.
  8. If you are using an accessory cable or a third-party cable to connect your device, try using an Apple-branded cable instead.
  9. Disconnect all USB devices from the computer except the keyboard and mouse. Then reconnect your iOS device to your computer. If the problem is resolved, reconnect the USB devices one by one. Make sure that the iOS device is still correctly recognized by the computer after connecting the devices one by one.

If one of the above actions solved the problem, but the problem reappears later, check that the device connection method has not changed. For example, check if it is connected to any accessory or if you are using a specific cable, as this may have caused the problem to reoccur.

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How to fix a laptop power cord yourself

This happens so often that you have probably experienced it firsthand. The power adapter plug that comes with your laptop or all-in-one starts to peel off and sometimes just fall off. You have to move the cord, bend it into a certain position or pull it under the computer so that it finally works. New power supplies can cost a couple of thousand, but they can often be repaired for free if you already have the necessary materials and an understanding of how to do it. How to fix the laptop power cord - we will talk about this now.

The same thing can happen with the plug on any power adapter, but most often it happens with laptop power supplies, especially with coaxial cords (braided cord - not to be confused with antenna cable). This is because people carry laptops with them all the time, and the constant folding and unfolding of the cord, combined with the manipulation of the plug, can lead to breakage.

Motherboard malfunctions signs that can be detected

In fact, it is not the plug itself that breaks, but the cord, or, more specifically, the connections between the cord and the plug are often frayed. This often happens with headphones as well, but these are usually impossible to fix due to the type of wire used; fortunately, this cord can be replaced inexpensively, provided that the headphones are worth it).

The photo above shows a very common plug. In manufacturing, the wires coming from the cord are soldered or pressed to the pins on the metal part of the plug, and then everything is poured into the mold with plastic or something there to provide strength and form a grip. Too much bending of the cord results in loose connections between the plug and the cord inside the sheath.

If you have a power adapter that works intermittently, especially when you wiggle the plug, it's more than likely that the wires have come loose from the plug itself, or that they're shorting out (touching each other). In any case, the principle of repair is the same. And by the way, you should stop wobbling the plug and either fix it or replace the power supply, because a wobbling plug can damage the socket in your laptop, and laptop repairs will definitely cost a pretty penny.

It's always better if you can find the problem before starting the repair. If you have a voltmeter, just check the voltage at the output of the plug and see if it fluctuates when you wiggle the cord. If the voltage does not fluctuate, your laptop's power connector may be damaged, which entails disassembling the laptop and replacing the connector. Without the necessary experience, it is better not to do this on your own.

Sometimes the cord may fray as it exits the power supply itself. If the power is lost when the cord is moved near the unit itself, then there is no need to repair the plug. But the only option might be to replace the power adapter, because you will need to open the unit itself in order to perform this repair, and they are not designed to be opened or serviced in any way (although in Russia everything is possible, there would be hands from where needed).

If you're ambitious enough, you can unplug the power adapter, cut off the bad part of the cord, and solder it in place. Even though you may be doing more harm than good, if the power adapter doesn't work, you have nothing to lose. In short, the risk is worth the candle).

If you determine that the problem is with the plug, you need to either replace it or reconnect the wire to it (solder). If you can find a new plug, you might be better off just cutting off the old one and soldering on the new one. Just make sure the plus and minus are connected correctly. The plus is usually the inner sleeve, and the minus is the outer part of the fork. However, before doing anything, make sure the power adapter is not plugged into a wall outlet. Strongly not shy away, but it can short-circuit).

To repair an old plug, you must remove the sheath from it, as shown above. You can simply make a cut on the side and remove by pulling out the metal plug itself. In any case, it is important not to wobble the metal part of the plug that will be reused. And most importantly, do not cut yourself anything. Many get it out of habit. I warned!

Now you can shorten the wire by cutting off the part that is untwisted. The plug used in these photos had an inner strand that was sheathed. this strand is usually clamped into the plug to hold the wire in place. To pull out the wire, it is best to open the contact with round-nosed pliers.

Be careful not to damage the outside of the plug. If the center wire is soldered in place, you will need to heat it up with a soldering iron and pull it out once the old solder has melted. Be careful, the plug heats up quickly, ideally hold it with pliers or tweezers. The negative wire is always soldered and you can just heat the solder and remove the wire.

When you're done removing the old solder and wire from the plug, it should look something like the one you see above.


It's time to prepare the ends of the cord as shown above. Cut the center wire to about a couple of centimeters and separate about 5 mm. Twist the outer braided wire together as shown in the figure and shorten its length by about 3 cm.

The length of the wires is critical. The center wire should be inserted into the center sleeve of the plug, and the outer wire should reach the outside of the plug, in the same place where the old wire was soldered.

Then thread the bare end of the center wire into the inner sleeve and crimp to hold it in place. You can clamp it with side cutters, the main thing here is not to overdo it, since you can easily bite through the contact. You can also solder the center wire instead, but don't let it get too hot, as the plastic parts of the plug can melt and only go to the trash can.

Now it's worth taking the heat shrink and seating it in place with a lighter, meaning the braid wire, so that there is no short circuit. You should leave 5 mm so that it can then be soldered. You can use duct tape instead of heat shrink, but heat shrink is much more effective. It also needs to be handled carefully - it's very easy to overheat...

Now it's time to solder the outer wire to the outside of the plug as shown above. You may need three hands for this), a small vise or clamp. Be careful not to use too much solder to create a short circuit between the inside and outside of the plug.

All that's left to do is take some more heat shrink and make it look something like the one shown above. The shrinkage should cover some of the insulation on the cord and the solder joint on the outside of the plug.


Heat shrink will soon start to cool and shrink, and in doing so will become harder, giving some strength to the structure.

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