What is the cause of the black lump on the belly button?

If a black lump appears in the belly button area, it is mainly caused by foreign matter produced by secretion. There are many reasons for this, and it may be caused by umbilical hernia, especially for babies. Premature babies often have symptoms of umbilical hernia. Of course, this phenomenon will gradually improve with the growth and development of the child. If any abnormal situation occurs, it should be treated in time.

What is an umbilical hernia?

Umbilical hernia is actually a lesion in the navel area that occurs more frequently in premature and low-birth-weight babies. It is formed when the small intestine, colon, etc. in our stomach, along with the peritoneum and abdominal wall skin, are pushed out. Generally speaking, most babies will have umbilical hernia, which will usually heal slowly as the baby grows.

But we still need to pay certain attention to it, because some babies' conditions will worsen due to improper treatment, especially the umbilical hernia in adults is more difficult to heal on its own. At this time, we need to provide some necessary care and treatment.

Symptoms of umbilical hernia in newborns

Umbilical hernia mostly occurs in newborns, and some babies still have it in their early childhood. It is also a common disease in babies. What are the symptoms of umbilical hernia in newborns?

The main clinical manifestation of umbilical hernia is the formation of a swelling that protrudes outward in the navel, which is mostly hemispherical or cylindrical. There is a small scar on the top of the swelling, which is the umbilical scar. The diameter of the swelling rarely exceeds 4 cm. The characteristic of the swelling is that it is reversible, that is, the swelling becomes fuller and larger when crying, coughing, or standing upright, and the swelling feels firm. When the child is quiet or the parents press on it with their hands, the swelling shrinks or retracts into the abdominal cavity, accompanied by gurgling bowel sounds. After the tumor shrinks or retracts, some loose skin folds remain in the area. The above is a typical umbilical hernia. The tumor is sometimes larger, especially when the child is crying and the abdominal pressure increases, the skin on the surface becomes shiny and appears thinner, so some parents worry that the umbilical hernia will be ruptured. In fact, due to the elasticity and toughness of the skin, there is no possibility of rupture unless it is caused by trauma.

Most parents are very concerned about the size of the umbilical hernia tumor. They believe that the larger the tumor, the more serious the condition. Doctors pay more attention to the diameter of the umbilical ring. When the umbilical hernia tumor is reduced, you can use your index finger to gently probe into the center of the navel. At this time, you can feel a defect on the abdominal wall, which usually only allows the tip of the index finger to pass through (less than 1 cm in diameter). If the umbilical ring is too large, the healing time will be delayed; a small umbilical ring is conducive to early recovery, but it increases the chance of umbilical hernia incarceration.

Unlike inguinal oblique hernia, most children with umbilical hernia do not have any other discomfort, occasionally indigestion or intestinal cramps. Only a few may develop hernia incarceration, that is, the herniated intestine gets stuck in the umbilical ring. At this time, the herniated swelling becomes hard, tender, and has difficulty in returning to the body; the child cries and vomits frequently, and abdominal X-rays show signs of intestinal obstruction. In this case, parents should take their children to the hospital as soon as possible to prevent the stuck intestine from causing strangulation necrosis.

A small number of children have atypical umbilical hernias, with the protruding swelling above or below the navel, or even beside the original navel.