Why hasn't my daughter's umbilical cord healed yet?

Q: My daughter is one month old. Her chord has not healed completely. Doctor says to keep on applying powder to keep it dry. But it is still wet and oozing yellowish liquid. What should I do? Should I consult another doctor? What is normally done in such cases?

A:Sometimes it takes a while before the umbilical stump (belly button) dries up. You might keep it clean using surgical spirit or ordinary after-shave-lotion and then dusting an antibiotic powder. If it doesn't dry up even then, see your doctor. If there is a pinkish skin inside, it may need to be chemically burnt using silver nitrate.