On March 26, 2026, a major Cochrane systematic review on umbilical cord antiseptics for preventing sepsis and death among newborns was published, contributing important new evidence to global newborn care. The review brought together findings from 18 randomized controlled trials involving more than 143,150 newborns.
The findings show that the use of 4% chlorhexidine in low- and middle-income countries likely reduces the risk of umbilical cord infections and may also help reduce neonatal deaths. Infection rates were observed to decrease from around 87 to 62 per 1,000 newborns, while mortality rates may fall from approximately 18 to 15 per 1,000 live births.
The review also assessed other antiseptics, including alcohol, povidone iodine, and silver sulfadiazine, but the evidence for these interventions was less certain, especially in low- and middle-income country settings. In places with stronger obstetric care systems and lower neonatal mortality, the findings continue to support dry cord care as the preferred routine approach.
The publication reinforces current World Health Organization guidance while adding updated evidence to support context-specific newborn care strategies. The review also identifies important gaps in data sharing across studies, pointing to the need for stronger research transparency and collaboration to guide future policy and programme decisions.
The review received notable attention across Pakistani media, with coverage appearing in Dawn, The News, Business Recorder, The News Eyes, and other print outlets, helping bring this important newborn health evidence to a wider national audience.
For the News Article please visit: https://www.cochrane.org/about-us/news/simple-antiseptic-can-reduce-newborn-infections
For the Review in the Cochrane Library please visit:
https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD008635.pub3/full
On March 26, 2026, a major Cochrane systematic review on umbilical cord antiseptics for preventing sepsis and death among newborns was published, contributing important new evidence to global newborn care. The review brought together findings from 18 randomized controlled trials involving more than 143,150 newborns.
The findings show that the use of 4% chlorhexidine in low- and middle-income countries likely reduces the risk of umbilical cord infections and may also help reduce neonatal deaths. Infection rates were observed to decrease from around 87 to 62 per 1,000 newborns, while mortality rates may fall from approximately 18 to 15 per 1,000 live births.
The review also assessed other antiseptics, including alcohol, povidone iodine, and silver sulfadiazine, but the evidence for these interventions was less certain, especially in low- and middle-income country settings. In places with stronger obstetric care systems and lower neonatal mortality, the findings continue to support dry cord care as the preferred routine approach.
The publication reinforces current World Health Organization guidance while adding updated evidence to support context-specific newborn care strategies. The review also identifies important gaps in data sharing across studies, pointing to the need for stronger research transparency and collaboration to guide future policy and programme decisions.
The review received notable attention across Pakistani media, with coverage appearing in Dawn, The News, Business Recorder, The News Eyes, and other print outlets, helping bring this important newborn health evidence to a wider national audience.
For the News Article please visit: https://www.cochrane.org/about-us/news/simple-antiseptic-can-reduce-newborn-infections
For the Review in the Cochrane Library please visit:
https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD008635.pub3/full
