>Even the "treatment" of the cord stump varies - in many areas, the practice
>is to use a "triple dye" which I think has gentian violet, an antifungal,
>and an antibacterial component. Parents are told to use alcohol on the stump
>several times a day to "dry" the cord. I understand that in Australia the
>cord is left alone, and falls off on its own, like a scab.

I think that I wrote about this last year but just to stretch our minds
further on this topic, I'll tell about it again.  There was a hospital "out
East" that discovered that 3rd babies' cords dried up and fell off sooner
than 1st babies.  What an unusual discovery!  So with inquiry it was shown
that mothers of 3rd babies didn't have time to do the alcohol treatment
that the 1st ones got.  Someone remembered high school biology and the fact
that alcohol "preserves," so the recommendations for alcohol swabing was
discontinued.

Last year I found the topic on a Midwifery web site and found that there
are a lot of treatments, all of which are chosen because they hasten drying
and have anti-infective properties. The midwives whom I work with all use
golden seal powder.

I copied a few statements by midwives on

 A capsule or two of goldenseal powder is included in the birthing kit. I
had my families use alcohol for years then made a change to dressing the
cord with Golden Seal powder. Most cords are off within 2-4 days. Alcohol
is 70% alcohol and 30% water. When the alcohol evaporates you are left with
a wet cord. Smells and becomes sticky. No odor with GS.

We use golden seal powder on the cord during the newborn exam, and the
parents follow suit with every diaper change. Golden seal is a wonderful
herbal anti-viral, anti-bacterial and drying agent...cords usually fall off
in 4 - 6 days.

Alcohol has been shown to delay cord separation when compared to just
keeping cord clean and dry... there was NO difference in the rate of cord
infections.

Aztec Healing Clay

For the last year or so we have been using Aztec Healing Clay on all our
cords, no alcohol or hydrogen peroxide at all. I have been very impressed
by how rapidly these cords are falling off. No smell at all. We used the
golden seal powder a few years ago, but I am much happier with the Aztec
Healing Clay. I think the lack of moisture and the drawing power of the
clay make for quickly dried up cords.

Interesting, isn't it?

Patricia Gima, IBCLC
Milwaukee Wisconsin, USA


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