Chlorhexidine for Umbilical Cord Care - Healthy Newborn Network

CASE STUDYChlorhexidine for Umbilical Cord CareSeveral actions are required to take advantage of this opportunity, beyond Nepal, and to addressone of the leading causes of neonatal mortality:Add 4% chlorhexidine (7.1% chlorhexidine digluconate) for umbilical cord care to the WHOmodel list of essential medicines for children.Correct the common misconception that WHO advocates dry cord care only. The WHO umbilicalcord care guidelines recommend that antimicrobials be used “…as a temporary measure,according to a local situation (e.g., in neonatal tetanus‐endemic areas or to replace a harmfultraditional substance).” These exceptions are rarely cited in discussions of WHO’s dry cord carerecommendation but may apply to more than half of all births around the world.Fast track registration of 4% chlorhexidine (7.1% chlorhexidine digluconate) for umbilical cordcare with national regulatory authorities and encourage additional manufacturers to producethe drug with guaranteed minimum volumes.Train birth attendants to correctly apply chlorhexidine to the umbilical cord, as part of newborncare training programs.Allocate resources to integrate chlorhexidine for umbilical cord care into essential newborncare programs in order to generate sustainable demand and attractive manufacturing volumesfor the product.Through these actions, we are much more likely to see increased use of this overlookedintervention, thereby contributing to hundreds of thousands of newborns lives saved annually.vi