Umbilical herniaA umbilical hernia is usually a completely harmless disease in the baby. The umbilical hernia is a quite common appearance in newborns and infants. On average, every fifth baby suffers an umbilical hernia during the first two years of life.
In the case of premature babies, four out of five children even develop an umbilical hernia. This is caused by an enlargement of naturally degenerating muscle gaps in the abdominal wall. Due to these “leaks”, the affected baby will have protruding sections of the intestines and parts of the peritoneum.
The prognosis of an umbilical hernia is quite good if treatment is initiated quickly. In most cases, all organs can be placed back into the abdominal cavity without consequential damage and the weak point in the abdominal wall can be stabilized. In many babies the gap in the abdominal wall closes within the first years of life even without therapy.
Symptoms
An umbilical hernia can generally trigger a number of symptoms. Especially in babies, however, very typical symptoms of an umbilical hernia can be observed. At first, the umbilicus begins to bulge outwards without causing any symptoms.
Pain only occurs in the baby if the hernia sac is pinched. During pressing or crying, it can also be observed that there is a significant increase in volume in the area of the hernia sac. The protruding navel can measure up to three centimeters in a very short time and even increase in volume.
Furthermore, in the presence of an umbilical hernia, the protruding bulge can usually be pushed back into the abdominal cavity by applying slight pressure. After a while, however, a renewed formation of the umbilical hernia can be observed. Parents of affected babies should consult a pediatrician as soon as possible if these symptoms are present, but they do not need to worry too much.
A baby with an umbilical hernia only has pain in very rare cases. An umbilical hernia that still causes pain must be surgically treated within a very short time. In such cases there is a risk of a so-called incarceration of the umbilical hernia. However, the majority of the affected children actually do not notice any pain due to the hernia sac coming out.
