Umbilical Hernia in an Infant
A Common Abdominal Ailment in Newborns
When a baby is born, his or her stomach muscles are weak and because of this weakness, some infants will develop a bulge in their belly button area known as an umbilical hernia. While its characteristic appearance can be alarming to parents at first, this condition is harmless for the most part.
What is an Umbilical Hernia?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, one out of every six babies will develop an umbilical hernia. This type of hernia occurs when the muscles of the abdominal area do not close all the way when the baby is in the womb, and part of the child's intestine or abdominal organs protrude through the umbilical area. This produces a bulging belly button that can vary in size and that appears to get bigger when the child cries or strains the stomach muscles. Children who are born preterm and low birth weight babies are more likely to develop an umbilical hernia.
Umbilical hernias are soft and can be pushed in easily with a little pressure. The umbilical hernia does not cause the baby to be in any pain.
Is an Umbilical Hernia Dangerous?
In most cases umbilical hernias are harmless and will disappear before the child's fifth birthday. As the child grows and begins to move around the abdominal muscles strengthen and the protrusion is drawn in.
There are rarer instances in which the hernia develops into a more dangerous condition and needs to be repaired. This condition is called an incarcerated hernia.
Signs of an Incarcerated Hernia
An umbilical hernia can sometimes develop into and incarcerated hernia when the intestine gets trapped. According to Cincinnati Children's Medical Center, this type of hernia needs to be repaired immediately or the baby may suffer intestinal damage. Symptoms of an incarcerated hernia include the child experiencing a great deal of pain and the hernia changing from soft, pliable and flesh colored to red and hard. Parents who notice any unusual changes in their child's umbilical hernia should call their doctor right away.
Treatment of an Umbilical Hernia
It is rare that an umbilical hernia requires treatment, as most disappear before a child's fifth birthday. If the hernia is extremely large, does not go away by the time a child is five, or becomes incarcerated surgical intervention is necessary.
A doctor will make a small incision around the belly button area of the child and push the bulge back into the abdominal cavity. He or she will then stitch the muscle together to avoid recurrence. In most cases the hernia will not reappear.
Parents who suspect their child has an umbilical hernia should contact their child's health care provider so the doctor can examine the baby.
Unbilical Hernia in Infants
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