Brief overview
- Treatment: Medical treatment necessary in babies and adults, in early stages germ-reducing and antibiotic ointments and home remedies, in severe cases taking an antibiotic, rarely surgical measures.
- Symptoms: purulent and strong-smelling secretion from the belly button, the skin around the navel is reddened, swollen and sensitive to touch, in severe cases fever, increase in heart rate, breathing disorder, among other symptoms
- Causes: Frequent bacterial infestation due to poor hygiene, inflammation possible due to belly button piercing, infestation by skin fungi, increased risk in babies due to premature birth, malformation of the navel region, immune system diseases
- Examinations: Skin swab from belly button to determine pathogen, ultrasound and possibly computer tomography of the umbilical and abdominal region.
- Prognosis: In industrialized countries very good with immediate treatment; if the inflammation spreads, life-threatening complications such as blood poisoning may occur, especially in newborns.
- Prevention: In general, pay attention to hygiene: in newborns, keep the umbilical stump dry and clean; in adults, clean the umbilicus regularly when showering and dry it well.
What is navel inflammation?
If the belly button is inflamed, severe complications may occur if the bacteria enter the tissue and blood via the navel. In developing countries, therefore, belly button inflammation is a major contributor to high neonatal mortality. In industrialized countries, however, an inflamed belly button affects less than one percent of newborns and very rarely leads to death.
More rarely, the belly button is inflamed in adults. Inflammation of the belly button in adults occurs, for example, as a result of navel piercing or contact allergies, such as to metal from trouser buttons or belt buckles.
In case of insufficient hygiene, bacteria and fungi multiply more easily in the depth of the belly button and sometimes cause an inflammation in the belly button. If the belly button in adults is inflamed and stinks, or smells unpleasant, this may be an indication of inadequate hygiene.
The belly button and the cord
During pregnancy, the child is supplied with nutrients and oxygen via the navel. The umbilical cord connects the child with the placenta and is cut sterilely after birth.
How is belly button inflammation treated?
Belly button inflammation in babies and adults should be treated immediately by a doctor. Close medical care is necessary so that the doctor can recognize possible complications early. In severe cases of inflammation of the belly button, intensive medical care is essential.
Medication
If the belly button is inflamed, it is sometimes sufficient in the early stages to use antibiotic and germ-reducing (antiseptic) ointments under regular medical supervision. Dehydrating agents are special powders or wound ointments containing, for example, zinc, which are often available in the medicine cabinet. These drying preparations should not be applied to open wounds.
In the case of a pronounced belly button inflammation, an ointment alone is not sufficient. Then the doctor always treats with an antibiotic acting on the whole organism. The patient receives the antibiotic either in the form of tablets or intravenously (through the vein).
Home remedy
Home remedies have their limits. If the symptoms persist for a long period of time, do not improve or even get worse despite treatment, you should always consult a doctor.
Surgery
If the infection of the belly button progresses, abscesses form and tissue death threatens, surgery is required. Such an operation is then unavoidable and sometimes life-saving!
What are the symptoms of navel inflammation?
Three days to three weeks after infection (incubation period), the first symptoms appear. The earlier in the life of a newborn the corresponding signs of illness appear, the more dangerous is the belly button inflammation.
Characteristic symptoms: secretion – redness – swelling.
If the belly button is inflamed, this is expressed by typical symptoms. Then a greasy, pus-like and strong smelling or stinking secretion comes out of the navel. Around the navel, the skin is red, swollen and very sensitive to touch. If the infection spreads, there are also small and punctate hemorrhages in the skin, vesicles, and a crackling sound.
Occasionally, however, the symptoms of navel inflammation in babies are only very mild.
Danger threatens through the spread of pathogens!
Seek medical attention at the first sign of blood poisoning!
What are the causes and risk factors?
In most cases, bacteria such as certain staphylococci or streptococci trigger belly button inflammation in babies. Newborns are particularly susceptible to inflammation in the belly button area. They lack defenses because their immune system has not yet come into contact with bacteria before birth and thus has not yet built up a powerful defense against them.
The reason: Before birth, the baby’s skin, which is washed around by the amniotic fluid, is free of bacteria. It is only during the course of birth that bacteria first settle on the newborn’s skin. In addition, blood vessels run in the umbilical cord. When they are cut shortly after birth, they are still open and thus a possible entry point for infections, which sometimes trigger navel inflammation in the baby.
Causes in adolescents and adults
One possible cause of belly button inflammation in adolescents or in adults is belly button piercings. If there is insufficient hygiene during the piercing or in the aftercare, in some cases the wound, which has not yet healed, becomes inflamed.
Generally, in addition to bacteria, skin fungi such as filamentous fungi (dermatophytes) cause end-stomach inflammation.
Risk factors in babies
Low birth weight, premature birth, malformations of the umbilical region, complications during birth, and the placement of an umbilical catheter increase the risk of navel inflammation in babies. Congenital diseases of the immune system also often result in an inflamed baby belly button.
How does the doctor diagnose belly button inflammation?
Already by looking at the navel, the doctor usually recognizes an inflammation of the belly button by its typical appearance. In order to determine the exact pathogen responsible, the doctor takes a swab from the inflamed area using a sterile swab. The bacterial culture prepared in the laboratory then provides further information about the type of pathogen that triggered the inflammation of the belly button.
In addition, the patient’s blood sample is examined in the laboratory for signs of inflammation and indications of possible blood poisoning.
Imaging procedures
The physician examines the region around the navel and abdomen by ultrasound. If the bacteria are suspected of spreading via the blood, the abdominal cavity is viewed with the aid of computed tomography (CT). In severe cases, depending on the complication, a more detailed diagnosis is performed.
Course of the disease and prognosis
In the case of inflammation of the belly button, surrounding (muscle) tissue may die. The so-called necrotizing soft tissue infection (fasciitis), which is usually severe, is particularly critical. In this dangerous form of infection, the skin, subcutaneous tissue and even the underlying fascia, which as components of the connective tissue surrounds and stabilizes all organs, muscles and other body units, die.
Belly button inflammation eventually extends to the blood vessels surrounding the navel, the peritoneum, and the liver. In rare cases, abscesses form in the liver.
Overall, the prognosis for abdominal inflammation (omphalitis) is quite variable. In countries with a well-developed health care system, the prognosis is usually very good under medical treatment.
Are there any preventive measures?
To prevent umbilical inflammation, hygiene – especially cord cutting in newborns with sterile tools – plays an important role.
A sterile compress protects the umbilical stump. Make sure the pad stays dry, and change it if it becomes soaked with urine, for example. Once the umbilical stump falls off, the cover is usually no longer necessary.
Studies also show that antiseptic treatment of the umbilical stump with chlorhexidine is helpful in preventing inflammation of the belly button in babies.
To prevent inflammation of the belly button, navel care is important for adolescents and adults. Especially when showering, it is essential to clean the navel area regularly with mild body care products and rinse it afterwards. Thorough drying after cleaning is also important. In this way, you remove possible pathogens and avoid a moist environment in which fungi feel at home. Hygiene also plays a decisive role in preventing navel infections when piercing navel piercings.
