Poo on cord explosion!

[MissTwister]

Hi all

We had a poo explosion earlier and it has gone all over the umbilical cord clamp - we've tried to wipe as much as possible off but it's totally embedded in it! Any tips? I don't want her to get an infection...

Poo explosion! amazing how much and how mobile baby poo can be!
Not much risk of infection if residual poo is on the actual clamp, because the skin is not broken by the clamp. It should wash off in the bath, or you could try 'rinsing' the cord and clamp in a bowl of warm water if your baby is co- operative!

Time for a nice bath!
Poo-splosions can be spectacular in newborns can't they!

Just rinse it off with some tepid water, then dab rubbing alcohol?
I just google it, here is a snippet and the link to the source.

" HOME CARE ADVICE FOR NORMAL UMBILICAL CORD

Alcohol: Clean the navel with rubbing alcohol 4 times per day. Use a cotton swab to clean away the dried pus or debris. Be vigorous about it. The umbilical area does not have any sensation, so the alcohol won't sting. If the cord is still present, clean underneath it by lifting it and bending it to each side. If the cord has fallen off, pour some alcohol into the depression and remove it after 2 or 3 minutes. (Reason: it takes that long to kill the bacteria.)
Diapers: Keep the umbilical area dry to help healing. To provide air exposure, keep the diaper folded down below the cord area.
Dryness: Avoid tub baths until the area is healed.

Poop on Cord: Getting some poop on the cord or navel is not serious. If it occurs, clean the area with lots of water, followed by rubbing alcohol. That should prevent any infections.

Call Your Doctor If:
Develops a red streak
Fever occurs
Your baby begins to look sick or develops any of the "Call Your Doctor" symptoms"

From www.bannerhealth.com/incfiles/housecalls/peds/NewbornQuestions/UmbilicalCord.htm

Hope that helps!

I work on a neonatal unit. I would recommend a quick bath, to clean up.
Alcohol used to be advised for cleaning, but latest research does not support it's use.

alcohol isn't required. A wash in the bath would suffice

Blimey, do people really clean it with alcohol 4 times a day? I'm on dc3 & have never done anything with it!

Don't put alcohol on it. Swish warm water around on it and then pat it dry or let it air dry. Don't be scared to touch it.
I was v gentle with PFB's cord stump but poor old DS had his ripped off inside a sleep suit that I took off a bit too roughly when he was 2 days old (Oops). It was fine.

I cleaned my dds with a baby toothbrush, to get the poo out of the teeth of the clip. Very little risk of infection. No blood flow through the cord now so just a quick bath and maybe clean it again when the stump falls off before you put the clip in your keepsake box

I often wondered how so much poo could be inside someone so small

Congrats on your newborn!

Thanks all - Good tips!

Are you able to bath baby with cord still there? For some reason I thought we just had to top and tail

Yes you can. my dd had her first bath in the hospital as she had lots of hair covered in blood and gunk and it was the only way to get rid of it.