The umbilical cord connects the fetus to the mother’s placenta and is cut after birth, with a small portion remaining attached to the baby’s belly button. Factors that could delay separation include antiseptics, immunodeficiencies, cesarean section, prematurity, and neonatal sepsis. Keeping the cord clean and dry is important to prevent infection. Premature babies have a higher risk of delayed separation due to decreased bacterial colonization. Neonatal sepsis can also cause delayed separation. Cesarean sections can inhibit normal colonization of the cord by beneficial bacteria.
The umbilical cord connects the developing fetus or embryo to the mother’s placenta. After birth, the cord is cut and a small portion remains attached to the baby’s belly button. Between seven days and 12 weeks after birth, this portion of the umbilical cord usually falls off on its own. Some factors that could lead to a delay in umbilical cord separation include the use of antiseptics, immunodeficiencies, cesarean section, prematurity, and neonatal sepsis.
When a baby is born, the umbilical cord will be clamped and cut no more than about 1.2cm from the baby’s stomach. Keeping the cord clean and dry is important because of its potential as a source of infection for your baby. This can be achieved by using unscented soap and clean water. Overuse of antibiotics will limit the normal colonization of the navel by beneficial bacteria, leading to a delay in separation of the umbilical cord.
Leukocyte adhesion deficiency is an immunodeficiency disorder affecting phagocytic blood cells. One of the effects of this disorder is that it causes a delay in the separation of the umbilical cord of newborns. Severe cases of this disorder may be treated with an allogeneic bone marrow transplant.
Urachal anomalies could also cause a delay in separation. The urachus connects the dome of the urinary bladder to the umbilical ring. If the umbilical cord doesn’t close properly, it could lead to the formation of a urachal cyst and delay separation.
An infection of the umbilical cord stump or surrounding tissue is known as omphalitis. This condition is more likely to affect newborns after five to nine days, or even sooner for premature babies. One of the factors leading to omphalitis is the lack of proper hygiene during childbirth, and one of the effects is a delay in separation of the umbilical cord.
Premature babies have a higher risk of delayed umbilical cord separation than full-term babies. One reason is a decrease in the normal bacterial colonization of the navel.
Neonatal sepsis is caused by an infection in the blood of babies younger than 90 days old. The baby could get the infection from the mother during or before delivery. Symptoms of this infection include swollen belly, diarrhea, seizures, and delayed separation of the umbilical cord.
It may take longer to separate the umbilical cord in infants who are born via cesarean section than in infants who are born vaginally. The reason for this is the sterile nature of the cesarean section. This inhibits the normal colonization of the cord by beneficial bacteria which aid in the separation.
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