I field umbilical cord care questions every day. The problem is that the cord has a kind of wide end as it dries (from the clamp) which is easily caught on things like a diaper. If it gets knocked/ripped off too early it will inevitably bleed. It’s no surprise that a bleeding belly button in a brand new baby causes parents a lot of stress. The good news is that it is generally not a big deal and nothing to be worried about. I see it so frequently, that my guess is that it happens at least half the time. Simply clean it with an alcohol swab, apply a little pressure (if it’s bleeding a lot), then leave it alone. Don’t put any fancy creams, ointments, or dressings/bandages on it. It will form a new scab in a few days and the new scab will fall off when the belly button is healed.
I shot this pic in clinic this past week to show you what the new scab will look like. This one is healing nicely.
-Featured photo courtesy of www.123rf.com. The other photo courtesy of a really nice mom in my practice that let me snap a photo.