It is common that after the umbilical cord falls, once it is dry, parents realize that their baby has a belly button lump that becomes more evident when crying or strenght. That lump is a hernia, part of the intestinal wall of the baby that sneaks out generating that strange "button" that worries parents so much.
Why it happens? It is dangerous? Should we operate? We will try to answer these and other questions so that parents have all the information about it, so today we talk about Umbilical hernia in the baby: everything you need to know.
Why it happens?
As you all know, the umbilical cord of the fetus, at the time of pregnancy, joins the baby with the maternal placenta. All the nutrients and cells needed to develop and grow reach the baby through the cord, work that stops minutes after birth. If nothing is done, it may be 5 or 10 minutes for the cord to continue beating (sometimes more, sometimes less), but usually the cord is clamped before and, artificially, blood flow between mother and baby is cut off (it is recommended to wait 3 minutes to do so).
In Babies and more Umbilical cord: what are the warning signs to watchWell, the cord passes through the baby's abdominal muscles and what usually happens is that, at the end of their function, the muscles are joined in such a way that the abdominal wall is behind, fully protected. Occasionally, if the area through which the cord passed does not close completely, part of the abdominal layers and even part of the organs seeps around, so that they cause umbilical hernia, the lump under the skin, which is mobile, soft, we can press it inwards and it seems to get bigger, as I said, when the baby is strong in the abdomen (cries, tries to sit, etc.).
It is very possible that you have ever seen it, either in one of your children, or in the baby of a mother you know. Anyway, in case you have not seen it or it does not sound to you, I leave you below a photo in which it is seen quite well, despite being a bit blurred:
It is quite frequent, since it is estimated that it happens in 20% of newborn babies and it is an isolated event, that is, it is not related to any type of disease. The size of the hernia is variable, being sometimes small hernias that are barely noticeable and sometimes really large hernias, the size of a ping-pong ball (or even a little more).
What is done in case the baby has an umbilical hernia?
An umbilical hernia in the baby is not something that is serious and needs to be resolved right away, doing something about it or even operating. No, because it doesn't hurt, it doesn't bother you, it's not especially dangerous and in many cases it resolves spontaneously as the baby grows and his muscles are joining and leaving behind what used to come to the skin.
In case it does not solve itself, towards the 4 or more years, an intervention is carried out. This operation is also carried out if the hernia is excessively large (although it is usually recommended to wait if it solves on its own) or if there is strangulation of the intestine. This condition is unusual but dangerous, so you have to be clear about the symptoms to go to the emergency room: irritability, severe abdominal pain, inflammation of the hernia, hardening, color change and increased sensitivity. Come on, if it stops being soft and mobile and changes color, causing crying in the child, running to the emergency room to be operated on
And what is the intervention?
Normally they wait for 4 years or more because this gives the hernia time to resolve itself and because the control of anesthesia is greater at these ages and therefore the risk is less. The intervention consists of making an incision under the navel and reintroducing the abdominal part that passes through the hole of the abdomen to the area where it should be. In case the intervention is an emergency and there is part of the damaged intestine, cut that part to leave the intestine completely healthy. After this, the abdominal muscles are sutured to close the area where the hernia was produced and the skin is finally sutured. Another method is by laparoscopy, making a small cut to introduce a thin tube with which they work inside, but from the outside (sometimes more than one cut is needed, because they need to work with more instruments). This is done to leave a smaller scar.
In Babies and more The umbilical cord in the newborn: everything you need to knowIs a simple intervention that involves very low risks, but that is still an operation that requires anesthesia, medication and that generates wounds that can bleed or become infected and that is why it is done only if it is considered necessary.
After the surgery, the parents are explained how they should take care of the wound at home and what they can expect from the child at the recovery level. In principle, if everything goes well, between 2 and 4 weeks the child must be fully recovered, that is, able to do everything he did before the operation again.
I heard that with a button or a chickpea it is solved ...
It is believed that the baby's umbilical hernias are solved by putting a chickpea, a button, a coin or something small and hard that, subject with a plaster, contains the hernia and the "goal" inside. They are methods not proven, considered ineffective and not recommended for the annoying thing of carrying something stuck to the belly all day that, in fact, seems to have no positive effects on the hernia and that, in addition, can damage the baby's skin (from both put on and take off the tape). A belt? No, it also does not help the hernia resolve and can be counterproductive by limiting the baby's mobility.
Photos | iStock, Flickr
In Babies and more | What happens when the baby has a belly button hernia ?, Umbilical hernia, Newborn care: the umbilical cord, Navel abnormalities of the newborn
