In pediatric clinics, we often encounter new mothers and fathers who ask about abnormalities in the umbilical cord of their babies. Today we will introduce several common umbilical cord abnormalities and how to deal with them. 1. Umbilical cord infection There is water or purulent discharge from the umbilical cord, redness and swelling of the skin of the umbilical cord, or purulent discharge after removing the umbilical scabs, and the umbilical cord discharge has a foul smell. Treatment: If there is only a problem with the umbilicus, do local disinfection, cleaning, and possibly antibiotics, you should go to the hospital for examination; if there is fever, poor spirit, poor milk eating, etc., you should be alert to the presence of sepsis, and you must go to the hospital urgently to seek medical advice and never delay. 2, umbilical eczema caused by allergies to the navel and the surrounding skin rash, manifested as papules, vesicles, oozing and flaking. Treatment: external washing with 1% to 4% boric acid solution and application of zinc oxide oil. 3. Umbilical hernia A round or semi-circular swelling in the umbilicus, which increases in size when crying and recovers when quiet, and the edge of the rhizome can be touched when the finger is probed. This is caused by the sheath of the rectus abdominis muscle at the umbilicus not being closed and the peritoneum and intestinal canal protruding outward from this area when the abdominal pressure is increased. Treatment: Small umbilical hernia will heal spontaneously after 1 year of age or be fixed with adhesive tape and pressure, while large umbilical hernia will require surgery after 2 to 4 years of age. In particular, if the baby cries during the protrusion of the umbilical hernia and is not easily soothed, it is important to visit the hospital in time to exclude the umbilical hernia from being ingrown. 4. Umbilical granuloma After the umbilical cord falls off, if the trauma at the root of the umbilical cord is stimulated by foreign substances (such as talcum powder or blood scabs) or infected, small granulation tissue will be formed locally with a moist surface and a small amount of mucus or bloody secretion, which will not heal over time. Treatment: You should seek medical attention in time, the doctor will use silver nitrate cautery or scratch local or electrocautery, most of them can be cured. If the above methods do not work, it should be surgically removed. 5. Umbilical cord velvet After the umbilical cord is shed, there is a red, smooth and moist mucosa-like swelling on the trabecular surface, much like a small polyp, with a small amount of secretion, called umbilical cord velvet. Unlike granuloma, umbilical cord velvet is intestinal mucosal tissue, which is the residue of the yolk tube during the embryonic period. The treatment of umbilical velvet is the same as that of granuloma. 6. umbilical fistula After the umbilical cord is shed, there is a mucosa-like object in the middle of the umbilicus with a hole in the center, with intestinal flow out and a foul smell, and the skin around it is eroded. This is caused by the yolk duct which was connected to the umbilicus at the time of embryo and the residual yolk duct was not closed. Treatment: Hospitalization and surgery. Generally, the umbilical cord will slowly turn black and hard after the baby is born and fall off in 1~2 weeks. If your baby’s umbilical cord has not fallen off after 2 weeks, observe the condition of the cord carefully. As long as there is no sign of infection, no redness or pus, and no fluid leaking from the umbilical fossa, there is nothing to worry about.