From: Subject: Topical umbilical cord care at birth (Cochrane Review) Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2004 11:25:17 +0200 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.update-software.com/abstracts/AB001057.htm X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1441 Topical umbilical cord care at birth (Cochrane = Review)

Topical umbilical cord care at birth (Cochrane=20 Review)

Zupan J, Garner P, Omari=20 AAA

ABSTRACT=20

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A=20 substantive amendment to this systematic review was last made on 06 = May 2004.=20 Cochrane reviews are regularly checked and updated if = necessary.
Background:=20 Umbilical cord infection caused many neonatal deaths before = aseptic=20 techniques were used.

Objectives:=20 To assess the effects of topical cord care in preventing cord = infection,=20 illness and death.

Search=20 strategy: We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group = trials=20 register (September 2003) and the Cochrane Central Register of = Controlled=20 Trials (The Cochrane Library, Issue 2, 2003). We also contacted = experts in the=20 field.

Selection=20 criteria: Randomized and quasi-randomized trials of topical cord = care=20 compared with no topical care, and comparisons between different forms = of=20 care.

Data=20 collection and analysis: Two reviewers assessed trial quality and=20 extracted data.

Main results:=20 Twenty-one studies (8959 participants) were included, the majority = of=20 which were from high-income countries. No systemic infections or = deaths were=20 observed in any of the studies reviewed. No difference was = demonstrated=20 between cords treated with antiseptics compared with dry cord care or = placebo.=20 There was a trend to reduced colonization with antibiotics compared to = topical=20 antiseptics and no treatment. Antiseptics prolonged the time to cord=20 separation. Use of antiseptics was associated with a reduction in = maternal=20 concern about the cord.

Reviewers'=20 conclusions: Good trials in low-income settings are warranted. In=20 high-income settings, there is limited research which has not shown an = advantage of antibiotics or antiseptics over simply keeping the cord = clean.=20 Quality of evidence is low.

Citation:=20 Zupan J, Garner P, Omari AAA. Topical umbilical cord care at birth = (Cochrane Review). In: The Cochrane Library, Issue 3, 2004. = Chichester,=20 UK: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This is an=20 abstract of a regularly updated, systematic review prepared and = maintained by=20 the Cochrane Collaboration. The full text of the review is available = in The=20 Cochrane Library (ISSN 1464-780X).

The=20 Cochrane Library is designed and produced by Update=20 Software Ltd, and published by John Wiley & Sons = Ltd.