Dolores Lopez-Medina, MariaLinares-Abad, ManuelBelen Lopez-Araque, AnaMaria Lopez-Medina, Isabel2023-02-122023-02-122019-01-011518-8345http://hdl.handle.net/10668/19193Objective: to compare the effect of dry care and the application of chlorhexidine to the umbilical cord of newborns at risk of developing omphalitis. Method: systematic review with meta-analysis. Clinical trials comparing dry care with the application of clorexidine to evaluate omphalitis were selected. Methodological quality was evaluated using the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials. Results: the joint analysis of the studies shows a significant decrease in the risk of omphalitis in the chlorhexidine group compared to the dry care group (RR=0.58, CI: 0.53-0.64). However, in the analysis by subgroups, chlorhexidine umbilical cord care did not reduce the risk of omphalitis in hospital births (RR=0.82, CI: 0.64-1.05), in countries with a low infant mortality rate (RR=0.8, CI: 0.5-1.28), or at chlorhexidine concentrations below 4% (RR=0.55, CI: 0.31-1). Chlorhexidine acted as a protective factor at a concentration of 4% (RR=0.58, CI: 0.53-0.64), when applied in cases of home births (RR=0.57, CI: 0.51-0.62), in countries with a high infant mortality rate (RR=0.57, CI: 0.52-0.63). Conclusion: dry cord care is effective in countries with low infant mortality rate and in hospital births. However, 4% chlorhexidine for umbilical cord care protects against omphalitis in home births, in countries with a high infant mortality rate.enAttribution 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Umbilical CordChlorhexidineSkin CareInfectionMeta-AnalysisInfant, NewbornUmbilical-cordNeonatal-mortalityTopical applicationSouthern nepalTriple dyeSeparationTimeNewbornsDistrictAlcoholreviewopen access10.1590/1518-8345.2695.3106http://www.scielo.br/pdf/rlae/v27/0104-1169-rlae-27-e3106.pdf457870500001