Trends in umbilical cord care: Scientific evidence for practice

To provide an increasing body of knowledge related to umbilical cord care, a literature review was conducted to study the evolution of umbilical cord care, to evaluate the scientific evidence used to guide practice changes, and to make recommendations for current practice. Historically, there has been a wide range of inconsistent practices related to umbilical cord care that have included a variety of cleansing agents and techniques. The findings of this literature review indicate that the current standard of umbilical cord care may be based on historic practices and traditions rather than scientific investigation and justification. There appears to be little support for continued alcohol use. Yet, insufficient evidence is available to support an immediate change in the standard of care from topical antimicrobial treatment of the umbilical cord to natural healing. Further research is recommended to evaluate natural healing and to establish evidence-based recommendations for practice.