Silver Nitrate / Cauterised Baby's belly button ... HELP

[twiglett]

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googled this:
Umbilical granuloma is treated with silver nitrate applied to the belly button on the end of a stick. The silver nitrate acts to cauterize and dry up the tissue at the bottom of the belly button, allowing normal skin to grow over. This may be repeated until the granuloma is healed. After a treatment, a little bit of dark discharge from the area is nothing to worry about. Furthermore, the procedure is not painful to the baby. He or she cries because of being poked in the belly with a stick.

When ds1's was cauterised with silver nitrate it also became a little swollen. He was fine but if you're at all concerned you could try NHS Direct. Sorry not to be particularly helpful!

btw ds1 had his treated 2 or 3 times before it eventually healed.

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..and this...
Oozing Belly-Button
After the umbilical cord stump falls away (about the second week of life), parents will often notice what seems to be some fairly thick drainage from the belly-button. Usually a belly-button discharge results from an unsuccessful healing, which then forms what we term a granuloma (what used to be described as " proud flesh". This granuloma is a shiny, oozing lump of tissue lurking in the belly-button depths. All it takes to promote healing is one or two applications of silver nitrate in the doctor's office.

The appearance of blood from the belly button is most likely some dried-up blood left behind when the cord-stump separated, and is now being dissolved by water or urine.

Any large amount of discharge, true bleeding, or a bad smelling belly-button should always be evaluated by the baby's pediatrician.

((come to think of it, dd2 nearly had to have this done, she had a little 'finger' of flesh for ages))

(not sure about how that winky got there..)

Can't remember TBH. The black is definitely normal but I really don't recall how long it took before it was dry, and you could peel little strips off (yuch!) BUT I do know that DSs nappy really smeared it around, he had the black about an inch all around his belly button, so it must stay 'wet' for a while?

Unless you are really really worried (in which case ring NHS Direct or Emergency Doc) I would leave it until the morning. If it still hasn't settled down ring or go and see the doctor who did it, and get them to double check.

It has been chemically burnt so I suppose it would seem swollen etc for a while.

Sorry, not much help, hope it all sorts out soon!

I had to have some silver nitrate applied a couple of times to the end of my c-section scar and it really doesn't hurt a bit although I braced myself for sheer agony... Think it did weep for a short while and I kept "smudging" the top rim of my knickers where they rubbed my scar for a few days.