Alcohol for umbilical cord?????

[lillybellsmom]

Hello! I will be sitting for my nursing school comprehensive exit exam in two weeks and then hopefully my boards in the summer. I keep getting questions regarding cleaning the umbilical cord with alcohol and we were taught not to use alcohol in school, however, one of the answers in programs like NCLEX 4000 say wipe with alcohol! UGH! For anyone who is taking the "new" NCLEX boards as of April 1st...if you come across a question like this, could you let me know??? Thanks and good luck to all!

[cmonkey]

I was also taught to always clean cord with alcohol with each diaper change. If you were taught not to use alcohol, then what did you use as alternative?

I used goldenseal for my second, and nothing for my third. I think I used alcohol with my first (hers took the longest to fall off, interestingly).

[Addy3]

In 99' with my twins they said wipe it with alcohol. In 2004 and 2007 with my other 2 they said to just keep it dry. Oddly enough the ones who we used nothing on fell off much sooner....like a whole week.

[CrazierThanYou]

My kids were born in 2001 and 2003. I was told both times to clean the cord with alcohol and was given a box of alcohol wipes at the hospital.