Umbilical hernia in babies-what is it? Does it need any treatment?

A bulging belly button, called umbilical hernia is not uncommon, and many parents are worried about the same. I discuss this in this short video.
I will address the question about the bulging belly button-In medical terms, this is called the umbilical hernia.
As we all know, the umbilicus is nothing but an extension where the umbilical cord attaches to the baby. You know the importance of the umbilical cord-the sole connection between the mother and baby when the baby is in the womb.
There is a gap in the muscle where the umbilical cord attaches because obviously the vessels and other connections go into the baby from that spot. In some babies, it is a bit wide. We know that during the colic phase, the baby cries and strains, and all this increases the pressure within the abdomen. The contents (intestines) may bulge through this small space and that is called an umbilical hernia.
The good thing about the umbilical hernia is that this space is never tight. So there is laxity around it and it is not going to obstruct whatever content is going to come out. You might notice that it pops out whenever the baby is crying or straining, and then you can easily push it back in.
If you push your finger in, you can easily feel the nice round coin shaped hole. This will start bridging with time as the baby starts lifting the neck up, and the muscles start developing. When the baby starts sitting, it starts going in and by 1-2 years, it is not prominent at all. It can still come out when the baby is straining till they are 2-3 years of age.
It is very rare for an umbilical hernia (simple one) that needs treating. So, the main thing is that you don't need to worry about it, it doesn't cause any problems-of course, it looks different cosmetically.
There is one subtle thing that you need to remember-hypothyroidism or certain metabolic problems can be associated with an umbilical hernia (association). So please do discuss that with your doctor so he will be looking for other features. The newborn screen includes the TSH which is a part of the thyroid testing, and if the newborn screen is normal and the baby is otherwise
well, there is no concern.
Some communities put coins around the belly button and tie it around. We would not recommend doing that as it is not going to make any difference-as long as the gap in the muscle is there, when the baby strains, the intestinal contents will bulge out. This is different from an inguinal hernia which I have covered in my earlier post. I hope this is useful, do share.
You can review details of inguinal hernia here (it is a different condition, and needs treatment)-   • What is an Inguinal hernia (in infant...  
#umbilicalhernia #umbilicalcord #umbilical