What is belly button hernia in babies? How to treat it?

What is an umbilical hernia? Is it caused by crying?

While in the womb, the fetus is connected to the mother's placenta by the umbilical cord, which provides nutrition, oxygen, and the elimination of waste and carbon dioxide. After the umbilical cord is cut after birth, it naturally shrinks and falls off. In theory, the hole in the belly will naturally close up, and the two stronger rectus abdominis muscles beside the abdomen will slowly move closer to the middle. When the abdominal pressure is high, such as when the baby cries or exerts force, the bulge will be more obvious, but it is not caused by crying. The rectus abdominis muscle in the middle is weaker, so a bulge is formed, which is called a hernia. Other causes include: congenital metabolic abnormalities, congenital hypothyroidism, which can be detected and treated early, and a few chromosomal diseases, such as Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, etc.

Umbilical hernia incidence?

The incidence of umbilical hernia in babies is about 10% to 30%. The incidence is similar among both sexes, especially in the black population, low birth weight babies and premature babies.

How to diagnose umbilical hernia?

Umbilical hernias can be large or small, but the severity is generally not determined by appearance alone. New parents can gently press the protruding part after the baby falls asleep. It is usually soft and can be pushed back by hand. The gap in the abdominal fascia is usually less than 1 cm, which is normal; if it exceeds 2 cm, it is considered a more serious umbilical hernia. New parents should pay attention if the baby's umbilical hernia is as big as half an adult's fist. Moreover, the bulge of the umbilical hernia is hard and cannot be pushed back by hand. The belly button turns red or black, and the baby becomes irritable and restless, feeds poorly, or has difficulty defecating. It is possible that the intestines are stuck.

Significant symptoms of umbilical hernia

When the baby cries loudly, the belly button will become more swollen and obvious. New parents do not need to worry whether the baby is crying and making a fuss because of the discomfort caused by hernia. Most babies with umbilical hernia will not have high fever, redness, swelling, pain or discomfort. But if the intestines are stuck, the pain will be unbearable and the baby will cry loudly and be difficult to comfort. In this case, you need to seek medical attention immediately.

How to treat umbilical hernia

The incidence of umbilical hernia in newborns is quite high, mainly because everyone has the same area where umbilical hernia can occur. If the gap in this area is not completely closed after birth, umbilical hernia is likely to occur. But in fact, even without any treatment, most umbilical hernias will disappear naturally before the age of 3.