A Comparison between the Clinical Results of Salt Therapy and Surgery in the Treatment of Umbilical Granuloma in Infants

Umbilical granuloma is the most common umbilical disorders among the infants. To date, various therapeutic methods have been proposed to treat umbilical granuloma. This study aimed to compare the clinical results of salt therapy with surgery in the treatment of umbilical granuloma in infants.
In a clinical trial study, 50 infants with umbilical granuloma referred to the Children Educational-Medical Hospital of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences were selected and randomly allocated into two groups. In the first group, 25 patients were treated with sterile salt, and in the second group; 25 patients underwent surgery using electrocauterization. Patients followed up for three months, and the cure rate, relapse rate, and side effects of each method were evaluated.
Results showed that cure rate in the salt therapy group was 96.0%. This was 100% in the surgery group, though. There was no statistically significant difference between two study group in the cure rate (p=1.000). No relapse or side effects of umbilical granuloma were seen in both study groups.
Based on the findings of the present study, salt therapy is a safe and effective method in the treatment of umbilical granuloma which can be an alternative to surgical methods in this regard.