Using alcohol to clean newborns' umbilical cord stumps?

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · May 23, 2011

You will teach whatever the hospital policy is on it. You will realize a lot of what you are taught in school varies in the real world. As far as this, my first 3 sons I was always told to use alcohol. My daughter who I had years later, they injected her cord with some sort of triple dye and said not to do anything. A local hospital here does nothing. So it just varies.

jelly221,RN, MSN · May 24, 2011

I learned in ATI and my textbook that we were supposed to do cord care. However, my instructor told us that information was outdate. The hospital that I did OB clinicals at still had alcohol cord care in their P&P, but the CNS on the floor was trying to get that changed because evidence-based research (apparently) shows that it isn't necessary. I couldn't find any articles on the topic personally.

MN-Nurse, ASN, RN · May 24, 2011

What are all of you taught in school on this topic? RNs: what do you practice in your hospital?

I believe they told us to leave it alone. No water or alcohol as long as everything is looking all right.

cogath · May 24, 2011

Yes, we learned in class that we don't need to use alcohol. However, when taking a NCLEX practice exam, the correct answer was the use of alcohol.

BabyLady, BSN, RN · May 24, 2011

When I took my maternal/child class, ATI and our textbook taught us that alcohol is still applied to newborns' umbilical cord stumps to keep them clean and prevent infection.
However, my theory teacher taught us that recent research studies have shown that the umbilical cord stumps actually fall off sooner if alcohol is NOT applied, and that alcohol is not necessary to keep the stump clean. In the hospital, it seemed that the obstetric nurses all had different views on this topic. :smackingf
What are all of you taught in school on this topic? RNs: what do you practice in your hospital?

Our hospital had a documented case of an infant death that was directly traced back to an umbilical cord infection from improper cord care.

Pretty much closed the case for me. ONE is too many.

The point is not to get it to fall off sooner, it is to keep it as dry as possible (sometimes the diaper top comes unfolded and therefore, re-hydrates the cord and can open a portal for infection) and to prevent infection.

It is cheap, all cords have different drying patterns (some stay on longer than others, alcohol or not), and the alternative is not worth the risk.

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · May 25, 2011

Interesting article

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/497030_4

Lanesmama · May 25, 2011

The AAP states that it isn't necessary and will fall off sooner if not applied. That is what our hospital teaches. HOWEVER, I have 2 kids. The first I used alcohol, the 2nd I didn't. The first fell off at 8 days and the 2nd fell off at 4. I wish I had used it on DD2 so that it had "stayed on longer" because it wasn't healed when it fell off that early and bled for some time and oozed. That all being said, you will have to teach what is in your hospital's policy but if I were to have another kid I would use it.

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · May 26, 2011

Just goes to show it varies with each kid, I didn't have any problems with my kiddo that I didn't use alcohol on.

Nktek · May 26, 2011

I think the use of alcohol is good cos of the prevention of infection and also to be on a safe side.

NicuGal, MSN, RN · May 27, 2011

EBP and AAP says just leave it be. And alcohol doesn't prevent infection, it really has no antimicrobial properties. Preemies get lines in there umbilicus and we do nothing to those...clean before we place the lines and that's it. It will dry up on it's own. After the cord falls off and if it remains goopy and looks bad, we will silver nitrate it. I have only seen probably 3 true infections of a umbilicus in over 25 years.

Also, follow hospital policy...it should be in there newborn routine care protocol.

caregiver1977 · May 27, 2011

When I had my daughter May 2010 the hospital encouraged the use of alcohol on the stump. They sent me home with a bottle of it. I live in central Mississippi.