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I'm not sure what the true recommended time is but when my son was born he still had his umbilical stump after 7 days. When I took him to the pediatrician he told be to lift the stump and move it around while applying a good amount of alcohol. Because I wasn't saturating it enough and deep enough it wasn't drying out and then falling off. After I did as he told me, it fell off within a couple of days.
samaletta
82 Posts
I have read in all of my nursing books 7-10 days. I got on the internet and see up to 8weeks. I ask because my boyfriend's brother's 7 week old baby still has her cord. I am good friends with his wife and she told me about the doctor mentioning the possibility of an immunodeficency associated with delay cord separation, though she didn't know what the name of it and asked me to do some research (Leukocyte Adhesion Defect type 1).
I did some research and I REALLY don't think this LAD is the case. I have also read on quite a few websites that it can take up to 45 days for the cord to fall off! I think it was pretty crappy of the doctor to mention this to her without assessing more thoroughly.
Anyway, just wondering what other nurses say about the amount of time it can take for the cord to fall off...
Thanks!!