Umbilical Granuloma in Babies

A few days back, I called a dear friend to congratulate her. She has had a darling little girl couple of weeks back. On chatting, she told me that her daughter has umbilical granuloma and they had to visit the doctor every day to get it cleaned and ow they had been advised not to give her full bath till it is completely OK. Umbilical granuloma was a condition I had not heard of before and I was quite surprised to know that it is not a very uncommon condition. That led me to share this article here on ShishuWorld, so that our readers can come to know about it as well.

What is Umbilical Granuloma?

Umbilical granuloma is a condition in infants which can develop in umbilical cord stump. Sometimes, after the umbilical cord stump has fallen, small amount of tissue remains which may continue to ooze. This is known as umbilical granuloma. Granuloma refers to this small mass of tissue which does not dry out on its own, is pink to reddish in color and oozes mucous.

How common is Umbilical Granuloma?

Umbilical granuloma is fairly common and is seen in about 1 in 500 babies. It is an easily treatable condition and most of the time heals on its own given some time.

How is umbilical granuloma treated?

Umbilical granuloma can be easily treated by baby’s doctor. Your doctor may advise you to wait it out for a few weeks and let it heal on its own. It must however be kept clean and dry. This may take considerable time. If it does not work, your doctor may apply dye to treat it. Treatment usually involves application of silver nitrate only on the growth to help it dry out.

What can I do at home?

Just keep it clean and dry. Your doctor may advise you to give sponge baths to baby till it has healed completely. Wipe the area gently with cotton wool and water and pat dry. Resist the temptation to use over the counter medicines and salt etc. Tie the diaper below the stump. Make sure baby wears loose cotton clothes. Kimonos with string are a good choice.