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What is an umbilical hernia is an expansion of the umbilical ring through which the contents of the abdominal cavity protrude. Sound scary? In fact, everything is not so scary. Most umbilical hernias – 90-95 percent – close on their own between the ages of one and a half to 5 years. Mostly up to three years, but some may close closer to 5 years. The hernia itself closes less often if it is quite large – more than one and a half centimeters in diameter, if a large skin fold bulges out, and also in the presence of certain genetic diseases.
– An umbilical hernia almost never bothers children, does not cause them discomfort, – says pediatrician Evgenia Perunova. – Newborns rarely develop unreducible hernia, and almost never infringement occurs (when the blood flow is disturbed in the intestinal loop that has fallen into the hernia). For the forecast, the hernia will close itself or not, it is its diameter that matters, and not the size. The wider the defect, the longer it takes to close it.
Symptoms of an umbilical hernia in newborns
Understanding that your baby has an umbilical hernia is not difficult. A hernia looks like a small bump in the navel.
– Immediately after birth, the umbilical ring in many children is expanded. This is normal, – says Evgenia Perunova. – Expansion of the ring, as well as the lack of muscles and fiber in the navel area and contribute to its protrusion. When the baby cries a lot, coughs, he has bloating or constipation, then intra-abdominal pressure rises, the navel protrudes even more, and the hernia, which was imperceptible, becomes visible. And this is the norm! Do not think that the hernia appeared due to the strong crying of the baby. It happens, by the way, that there is no visible protrusion, but on palpation, the doctor will understand that the umbilical ring is expanded and will diagnose an umbilical hernia.
Treatment of umbilical hernia in newborns
In most cases, the umbilical hernia of newborns does not require any treatment and, as we have already noted, closes by itself by 3-5 years. The child grows, grow to each other and the rectus abdominis muscles are strengthened.
Therefore, observation is usually sufficient. Surgical treatment is indicated in cases where there is a sharp pain in the navel, the color of the protrusion has changed – for example, it has turned red or blue, or edema has appeared. All this may indicate a pinched hernia. But in children, hernias are almost never pinched. Also, hernias with a diameter of more than one and a half centimeters, which have not decreased in size by 4-5 years, need surgery.
The operation is simple, performed under anesthesia, usually the child is discharged on the same day that the operation was performed, or the next.
What can be done at home
There are a lot of “folk” tips on what you can do at home to cure an umbilical hernia. But pediatricians ask parents not to engage in amateur activities: these methods have nothing to do with umbilical hernia and cannot affect it in any way.
“You don’t need to put coins on the navel – they won’t fix anything, but it’s very easy to get irritated and get an infection,” says Evgenia Perunova. – No need to stick a band-aid over the navel, trying to pull it off. This will also have no effect. Remember that a band-aid, even a hypoallergenic one, causes skin irritation, it gets wet under it, there is a risk of infection.
Therefore, the best thing you can do at home is to calm down, not think about the hernia and the misconceptions that exist about umbilical hernias, and enjoy your baby.
Why is massage recommended?
Indeed, both earlier and today very often massage is prescribed for umbilical hernia. It is believed that it improves blood circulation in the area of the umbilical ring, and this will contribute to its contraction. True, recently many experts say that massage specifically in the treatment of umbilical hernia has no effect.
“There is nothing wrong with giving a newborn a tummy massage,” says pediatrician Evgenia Perunova. – This will ease his condition during constipation, colic. General strengthening massage in general will have a positive effect on the physical development of the child. But for a healthy newborn, it is completely optional.
Prevention of umbilical hernia in newborns
“If you ask how to prevent an umbilical hernia, my answer will be: no way,” our expert notes. – It either exists and was formed at the stage of intrauterine development, or not.
The most common myth is that an umbilical hernia can be “shouted”. Parents who believe in this, by hook or by crook, try to make sure that their baby never cries, carry it all the time in their arms, and do not sleep at night. In fact, this myth appeared because when a child is born, his intestines are empty and hernia, as a rule, is not visible. And then, with a cry and constipation, that is, with a strong straining of the abdomen, the hernia becomes visible. And the parents grab their heads, they say, “shouted.”
The child will still scream, push, suffer from constipation and colic, these are natural physiological processes, and this is absolutely not dangerous, a hernia will not appear and will not become larger because of this. If a child with a hernia is cheerful, cheerful, has an excellent appetite, calm down and relax. Everything is fine. As you grow older, the umbilical ring will shrink, the muscles will become stronger and the umbilical hernia will disappear. But do not forget to see a doctor.