What should I do if my baby has an umbilical hernia?

Generally speaking, the baby's umbilical hernia will gradually shrink with age, and most children will be fully recovered at around two years old. However, a few children may experience vomiting, abdominal pain, or local infection. At this time, good treatment must be carried out in time. The treatment methods are mainly non-surgical and surgical methods. During the daily conditioning process, pay attention to the baby's diet to avoid abdominal distension or constipation.

What should I do if my baby has an umbilical hernia?

If the umbilical hernia is large, in order to speed up its healing, you can take an elastic band about 4-5 cm wide, use cloth to fix half a ping-pong ball in the center of it, with the convex side of the ball facing the navel so that the intestines no longer protrude, and fix the two ends of the elastic band with adjustable length buttons. The pressure should be maintained to ensure that the intestines no longer protrude without affecting breathing and breastfeeding. Check every 2-3 hours after use to prevent skin abrasions.

It is worth noting that some people have advocated using coins for pressure or tight bandages, but in fact the effect is not ideal. Because the baby's abdomen is round, a too tight bandage will cause local skin necrosis. Therefore, ping-pong balls should be used for pressure, which is both safe and effective. In addition to these methods, mothers should also take good care of their babies in daily care:

1. If your baby has an umbilical hernia, you should try to minimize the chance of increased abdominal pressure, such as not letting your baby cry or make a fuss;

2. Adjust your baby's diet to avoid bloating or constipation;

3. For smaller umbilical hernias, such as those with a diameter less than 1.5 cm, most of them can heal themselves within 2 years as the abdominal wall strengthens with development. Since umbilical hernia in infants rarely becomes incarcerated, non-surgical treatment can be given first, using adhesive tape therapy. That is, a wide strip of adhesive tape is used to pull the two sides of the abdominal wall toward the midline of the abdomen to prevent the hernia from protruding and to put the navel in a tension-free state, allowing the umbilical opening to gradually heal and close. Change the tape once a week. If you have tape dermatitis, you can use a belly bandage to apply appropriate pressure.

4. If the baby's umbilical hernia is severely protruding but not over a large area, you can wrap a one-yuan coin with cloth and sew it up, then sew a loose elastic band on it, stick the coin part to the navel, and tie the whole thing to the baby's body. If you keep the band on, it will recover. This was told to me by a doctor friend of mine.

5. Or you can go to the pharmacy and buy an umbilical hernia belt, which is more aesthetically pleasing.

What diseases are likely to be caused by umbilical hernia in infants

In rare cases, hernia incarceration may occur, that is, the herniated intestine is stuck in the umbilical ring. At this time, the herniated tumor becomes hard, tender, and retraction is obstructed.

The disease that is most easily confused with umbilical hernia in infants: hernia. Generally, hernia refers to hernia in the inguinal area. It mainly refers to the weakness of the muscles somewhere near the inguinal canal, which causes the nearby small intestine to be squeezed into the inguinal canal due to the pressure of the abdominal cavity. If it happens to a baby boy, it may even run into the scrotum, making the inguinal area and scrotum on the affected side appear particularly swollen.

Differences: Inguinal hernias are more likely to cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain and vomiting than umbilical hernias.

Similarities: Emergency surgery is required when the small intestine is twisted or blocked, and local tenderness, swelling, and abnormal color often occur.