Inflammation of the Umbilical Cord
written by: Waheeda Sabir
The main cause of umbilical cord infection is exposure to bacteria (such as strep, staph, and tetanus) during delivery when the umbilical cord is cut after birth or a few days later.
AEPO’s writer/producer has talked to some mothers and a child surgeon.
A woman from Kapisa province says, “My baby umbilical cord was infected and it inflamed about the size of a walnut.”
A mother, a resident of Laghman province says, “My 13 days baby faced with the inflammation of umbilical cord and it became black and she was suffering from severe pain. Now I have taken her for surgical operation to the hospital.”
Doctor Abdullah, a general pediatric surgeon at Indira Gandhi Children’s Hospital, Kabul city talks about the symptoms of this disease, “When the newborn child face umbilical cord infection, the baby’s umbilical cord base appears red or swollen; has continuous bleeding, yellow and white puss come from the umbilical cord and it is painful for the baby. If not treated on time, the infection might find a way to the blood stream and it might cause the death of the patient.”
What do people think about the cause of this disease?
A mother from Shakardara district, Kabul province says, “Some mothers do not bathe their babies till the umbilical cords are not fallen off. When a baby urinates, the urine drops might cause the infection of the umbilical cord.”
Another mother from Kabul province says, “I delivered a baby at home and one of our neighbors cut my baby umbilical cord with her dirty hands. After a few days, the umbilical cord of my baby inflamed.”
Doctor Abdullah says, “When a mother delivers a baby at home and if the woman who helps her in delivering a baby does not wash her hand during cutting the umbilical cord of the baby or uses infected razor for this purpose or infected string that she tightens the umbilical cord, might cause the infection of umbilical cord of the baby. Not paying attention to the cleanliness of the baby would also cause this disease.”
How do some mothers treat the infection of the baby umbilical cord at home?
A mother, a resident of Kabul city says, “I have 10 children. If they faced umbilical cord infection, I was using the cream if it was not useful, then I was taking him/her to the doctor.”
A mother, a resident of Paghman district, Kabul province says, “My nephew umbilical cord was infected. They poured kohl in his navel and fastened a 5 Afghanis coin on his umbilical cord and they thought that their baby would be treated.”
Doctor Abdullah denies home medicines for the treatment of this disease and says, “Pouring kohl or other materials in a child’s navel increases the infection. When a baby suffers from umbilical infection, the mother should clean his/her umbilical cord with a clean and soft cloth and wait for a few days (almost for ten days) for falling of the umbilical cord. If the baby was suffering from pain, the parents should take him/her to the doctor for essential treatment.”