Umbilical burns in neonates following traditional cord practices: A case series

Umbilical burns in neonates following traditional cord practices: A case series

Blog Article

Many cultures have developed traditional practices around the management of the umbilical cord stump in click here the newborn.Treatment with hot water compress or fomentation is well-documented in sub-Saharan Africa but can result in thermal injuries in vulnerable neonatal skin.We report three cases of superficial partial thickness umbilical burns in infants following such treatment that presented to a paediatric burns unit in here London, UK in 2020, all from a Nigerian background.In each case, the burn wound healed with conservative management only.

This is a previously unreported cause of neonatal burn injury and we aim to raise awareness of the risks that traditional cord practices may pose to the newborn.