Comparing the Effect of Topical Application of Maternal Milk, 96% Ethyl Alcohol, and Dry Cord Care on Umbilical Cord Separation Time in Healthy Full-Term Neonates

Introduction & Umbilical cord infections are of main causes for neonatal morbidities and mortalities. Different methods are used for umbilical cord care with multifarious efficien-cies. The aim of this study was to compare three methods of local use of maternal milk, local use of 96% ethyl alcohol, and dry cord care. In this prospective, randomized, clinical trial, 207 healthy full-term neo-nates were randomly assigned to three groups. In the first and second groups, mothers rubbed her milk and 96% ethyl alcohol on umbilical cord until two days after its separation, respec-tively. In the third group, they only kept the cord clean and dry. The length of umbilical cord separation was compared among the groups with ANOVA and Tukey HSD tests. The difference among lengths of umbilical cord separation in three groups was statis-tically significant. For alcohol users group, this time was significantly longer than that for the other two groups. The difference between cord separation time in maternal milk users and dry cord care groups was not statistically significant. Usage of maternal milk on umbilical cord and keeping the cord dry are acceptable methods but alcohol is not recommended for cord care in healthy term neonates with home care and in normal state.