What is umbilical granuloma?
An umbilical granuloma is an overgrowth of tissue during the healing process of the belly button (or ‘umbilicus’).
It usually looks like a soft pink or red lump and is often oozing small amounts of clear or yellow fluid.
Umbilical granuloma is very common in newborns and is usually painless and harmless.
The cause of umbilical granuloma is not known but if left untreated, it can take months to get better.
How is it diagnosed?
Umbilical granuloma is diagnosed by a doctor looking at and feeling the area around the belly button.
Treatment
The first treatment is “salt treatment” (see below for instructions), which is a safe and effective treatment which you can do at home.
What to do if salt treatment is not effective?
If the umbilical granuloma does not respond to treatment after 5 days, see your GP.
In some cases, silver nitrate treatment (done by your GP) or surgical treatment is needed.
Care at home
- Keep the umbilical area dry and clean.
- Clean the belly button with soap and warm water if it gets soiled with urine (wee) or faeces (poo).
- Expose the belly button to the air by folding back the top of your baby’s nappy.
Salt treatment
- Clean the belly button area with a cotton ball soaked in warm water.
- Apply a small pinch of table/cooking salt over the umbilical granuloma.
- Cover the area with adhesive tapes/dry gauze to keep the salt in place for 30 minutes.
- Clean the area using a cotton ball soaked in warm water.
- Repeat this procedure twice a day for 5 days.
In about two or three days you should notice that the granuloma reduces in size. It may change colour, dry off and the area will gradually heal.
When to seek help
If there is no improvement after 5 days of salt treatment, see your GP.
