7 week old belly button...

[Clovissa]

Hello, I have a 7-week old DS. His belly button seeps gunge every day and there is a sort of raw little bobble that lurks within. It's doesn't look angry or anything. I mentioned it to the doctor who, without bother to look, prescribed some sort of glostick that you light and press on it to cauterise it . I have to fil the prescription, take them in and let him show me the first time.

Does anyone else have any advice?

what do you mean by 'raw little bobble' is it on his belly button?

My DD2 (now 9 weeks) had a belly button that sound just like your DS's very gungy and had a raw little bobble. I pretty much did nothing to it except wipe it occasionally and the little bobble fell off.
It did bleed but I covered it and it is now great.

I would go to your health visitor and get a second opinion. Your Gp should have at least looked at it.

Ledodgy, the bobble is inside but visible, it looks like 'insides' if you know what i mean..

I'll get the doctor to look at it when we go back on Wednesday, peachygirl thanks for that. I'm hoping for a similarly less invasive approach...

The doctor definately needs to look at it imo to rule out an umbilical hernia.

hi. definitely get the doctor to look at it, however it sounds exactly the same as what my dd (10 wks) had up until a week ago. it was described to me as 'leftover' material from the cord. my midwife advised me that it may naturally die back, and if not it could be cauterised. she said to wait as cauterising wasn't a nice procedure. we waited, and it simply disappeared, along with gunk.

however, my DS (2yr 6mnth) had a very nasty infected umbilicus after he was born and was in scbu for a week- so definitely get it checked again. i guess that a visual inspection by your midwife would rule out need for antibiotics.

sorry for lack of upper case...bf'ing dd and one handed typing.

well, get the script of silver nitrate (i presume) and go back to the GP then. sounds like an umbilical granuloma, and the 'glo stick' is the right treatment. what's the problem??

Hi Cass, thanks, if it's the right treatment then great. I'm just worried because he hasn't even seen it yet (although of course he'll see it when I go in for the appointment) so I posted on here to see if there were other possibilities.

My ds had exactly as you discribed - he was a big baby and the gp said big babies normally have larger placentas therefore larger tummy buttons that might need a hand to heal. He had his gunky bit cauterised - he was asleep and didn't even wake up so couldn't have hurt. Healed up very nicely and quickly after.

What he told me might be a huge load of rubbish but it made me feel better at the time! Don't worry too much - hope it all sorts itself out soon.

I just googled umbilical granuloma because I remember now that's what the doc called it. And yes, silver nitrate was the treatment. It definitely sounds like that's what it is. Thanks Loler, I'm glad it won't hurt him, he had to have his heel prick test repeated this week because they lost the first one can you believe it, and he has his jabs too, poor wee thing...

if it is seeping gunge,it may be infected in which case cautery will do nothing. Is it smelly or coloured gunge. The raw little boble could just be raw due to infection. He may need a course of antibiotics like co-amoxiclav or fluclox.

You have to be very careful with silver nitrate pencil as it is very caustic and will burn the skin or eyes or anything it touches.

Alypaly, thanks. I was shocked when the doc said I could do the nitrate pencil myself, after he showed me one. Is it likely to take many goes?

It is seeping a sort of bogey-like gunge. There's always some on the inside of his sleepsuit.

you can do the siver nitrate yourself if you are careful ,but the district nurse or midwife could do it if you dont feel confident. here is some info for you

...?Apply silver nitrate to the wart or verruca only. Avoid contact with the surrounding skin.

?Silver nitrate can stain. Be careful to avoid contact with clothes and furniture.

?Store this preparation safely out of the reach of children.

..About silver nitrate
Type of medicine Caustic agent
Used for Removal of warts and verrucas
Umbilical granuloma (a piece of tissue that remains on a baby's belly button after the umbilical cord has fallen off)
Also called Avoca®
Available as Pencil

.Silver nitrate is caustic and works by causing the skin to shed..

.Before using silver nitrate
Before using silver nitrate make sure your doctor or pharmacist knows:.
.
.How to use silver nitrate
?Before beginning treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet.
?Use this preparation exactly as directed by your doctor.
. Using a little water, moisten the tip of the silver nitrate pencil and apply. Leave 24 hours between each application.
.Getting the most from your treatment
?Do not apply silver nitrate to broken or inflamed skin.
Try to avoid the surrounding skin.
?Silver nitrate can stain the skin This should disappear soon after finishing your course of treatment. The pencil can also stain fabric, so try to avoid contact with clothes and furniture.
?Do not allow silver nitrate to come into contact with the face, eyes, or mucous membranes (eg. mouth, vagina, inside of nose etc.).
?If you buy any medicines, check with a pharmacist that they are safe to take with your other medicines.
.Can silver nitrate cause problems?
Common problems What can I do if I experience this
Skin burns on surrounding area Protect normal areas of skin by applying a thin layer of petroleum jelly (such as Vaseline®) around the wart or verruca

.If you experience any other symptoms which you think may be due to this medicine, speak with your doctor or pharmacist..

.How to store silver nitrate
?Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.
?Store in a cool, dry place, away from direct heat and light.
.

how mant times has doc said to apply it.
Is it just to get rid of the little extra bit of umbilical cord.
If it goes in the least bit smelly or inflamed go back to gp.

Have they given you a little pecil in a plastic case...is it avoca
or have they given you the ones that look like ctton buds?

sorry forgot to delete the bit on warts and verrucas

the above was some info from a data sheet on the silver nitrate pencils.

if it is the little plastic avoca stick,let the nib end dry before you replace the cap otherwise it goes all soggy and drops off.

Alypaly, when I went to fill the prescription they didn't have it - I'm calling in for it on my way to the dr on Wednesday - so I don't know what type it is yet. Dr. is going to show me how (if it turns out to be the right tx when he actually looks at it).

Thanks for the info, helps to be prepared!

what did it say on your script

I don't know - the chemist held on to it so they could order it in for collection on Wednesday. I'll let you know. Many thanks.

hows the belly button after seeing the doc?

Thanks Aly, we just got back five minutes ago! DS has a little silver disco button. Definitely an umbilical granuloma, he painted it with the nitrate stick and we're to go back in a couple of weeks if it hasn't scabbed over and fallen off.

glad hes ok