How to prevent baby umbilical hernia

For newborn babies, it is easy to develop umbilical hernia. This disease occurs mainly because the child's belly button is not well closed. At this time, part of the intestine is prone to protrusion. This disease is especially prone to occur in premature babies. Therefore, parents must pay attention, strengthen prevention, and avoid infection. You can use adhesive tape or treat it under the guidance of a doctor.

Prevention of umbilical hernia in newborns

For children with small umbilical rings, crying habits, and recurrent umbilical hernias, you can try the "taping method" to accelerate the closure of the umbilical opening. The adhesive tape should be medical tape, about 5 cm wide and 6-10 cm longer than the patient's waist circumference. One end of the tape should be cut short and stick out like a tongue (about 5 cm long), and a horizontal opening should be made in the middle of the other side of the tape to allow the tongue-like tape on the opposite side to be inserted and pasted.

The area of ​​the waist and back where the tape passes can be padded with gauze, and the hernia sac must be empty or in a sunken state when sticking. Generally, it should be replaced once every 1-2 weeks and can be used continuously for 3-6 months. Take care to protect your skin during use to prevent blistering and erosion.

The key to pasting is: stick it moderately tightly, and make the navel smaller each time to promote the healing of the navel. To prevent the tape from slipping, an elastic band (elastic band) can also be added to the outside. Due to the difficulty and complications of tape application, the above operations should be performed by medical personnel. Another method is the "elastic belly band", which is especially suitable for newborns and infants. It can be used first, usually worn during the day and loosened at night, and the tightness should be adjusted frequently to prevent excessive bulging of the umbilical hernia and ensure the child's diet and abdominal development.

Elastic belly bands are easy to use and are fully capable of being used by parents. They are also popular among overly worried parents (especially those who hope that their babies can get treatment). Some parents still use the old habit of using large copper coins or coins to tie a cloth band around the abdomen in an attempt to stop the umbilical hernia from bulging. This is not only ineffective but may also cause damage, so it should be abandoned.

Precautions for neonatal umbilical hernia

Smaller umbilical hernias, such as those with a diameter less than 1.5 cm, can usually heal themselves within 2 years of age 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.

If the child is over 2 years old and the umbilical hernia has not healed on its own, surgical treatment should be performed. The specific method of the operation is to make a corresponding arc-shaped incision 1 to 2 cm below the umbilical hernia, free the skin flap, and expose the anterior sheath of the rectus abdominis on both sides. Incise the linea alba and hernia sac. If there is no intact hernia sac, incise the peritoneum. The intestine was returned, the hernia sac was removed, and the peritoneal incision edge was sutured at the hernia ring. The transverse abdominal fascia is sutured horizontally, and then the linea alba is sutured longitudinally to close the umbilical ring and repair the weak area of ​​the abdominal wall. Finally, the skin flap that retains the umbilicus is sutured in situ.