Cord care advice from midwifery expert, Nikki Khan

15:19 22 September 2011

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New research commissioned by Huggies has revealed some unusual practices when it comes to caring for newborn babies' umbilical cords.

Findings revealed everything from filling the wound with salt or honey and rubbing earth on the cord, to more traditional but outdated methods such as putting a penny on the cord or cleaning it with pure alcohol, talcum powder or surgical spirit.

The survey found that 72 per cent of mums were not shown how to care for their baby's cord before the birth, leaving parents confused and with a number of questions on how best to tend to it.

For example, how long will it take for the cord to fall off? Should I clean the cord every day? How do I know if the cord is infected?

In this video midwifery expert Nikki Khan answers some of the questions that parents may have about umbilical cord care.

For more information visit www.cordcare.com