Medical Questions » Hernia Questions » Question No. 512
| Question: | My baby has an umbilical hernia. It looks funny, but does not seem to worry him. I have heard conflicting advice on treatment for this problem. What do you think should be done for this? |
| Answer: | Umbilical hernias occur when there is a weakness in the wall of the abdomen where the umbilical cord goes through the muscle layers into the baby' s body. Crying and straining force a piece of gut or fat through this weakened area leading to a lump under the belly button. This lump should go down when the child is lying at rest.
The vast majority of these require no treatment and close over spontaneously by the time the child is two or three years old. Only if it lasts beyond this time is corrective surgery necessary.
If the infant starts screaming, and the hernia is found to be hard, red and tender, an urgent operation will be required to reduce the trapped piece of gut. This problem is unusual.
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