[Alcohol versus bath and natural drying for term newborns' umbilical cord care: a prospective randomized clinical trial].

Background: Umbilical cord (UC) care is a cause of concern for parents right from birth until its separation. Standard practice in Argentina includes frequent cleansing of the UC with alcohol and body bath only two days after its separation. The effect of different methods of UC care on its separation time and on colonization with microorganisms has been insufficiently explored.