Comparison between effectiveness of umbilical cord care using topical breast milk application and dry techniques in accelerating umbilical cord separation and preventing omphalitis

Abstract

Objectives: To compare umbilical cord separation time and incidence of omphalitis in newborns receiving three different umbilical cord care techniques: topical breast milk, open dry, and closed dry techniques. Methods: This study was conducted during the period of June-August 2018 on consecutively selected 120 newborns aged 0 days up to 2 days after the release of the umbilical cord. Subjects were divided into three groups based on the umbilical cord care technique used with 40 subjects in each group. Omphalitis incidence was analyzed. Results: Umbilical cord separation was found to be significantly faster in topical breast milk group (2 days faster than in the open dry technique group and four days faster than in the closed dry technique group) with p<0.05. Omphalitis was also significantly prevented more effectively in the topical breast milk and open dry technique groups (p<0.05). A strong relationship (r= 0.33) was also identified between umbilical cord separation time and infant birth weight with p=0.034. Conclusions: Cord care using topical breast milk is shown to accelerate umbilical cord separation and improve prevention of omphalitis when compared to open dry technique and closed dry technique.

Keywords

• closed dry technique
• omphalitis
• open dry technique
• topical breast milk
• umbilical cord separation time