Health

Is Your Child Suffering From Umbilical Hernia? Here Is What You Need To Do

In case you have an infant baby at home, you are probably losing good night’s sleep to feed them, change their diapers and stroke them to sleep while they are crying. This is natural and when they will grow up, you can set back in your routine sleeping schedules. But while they cry, do you often notice a small lump near their belly button? If yes, then you need to pay more attention to the same, as it is likely to be a case of umbilical hernia.

Even though your baby is having a hernia in infancy, it does not mean that you should be scared or panic. Having a hernia is not a threat and it is more common than you might think. 1 to 2 out of every 10 babies has an umbilical hernia. An umbilical hernia is nothing but a condition, in which some portion of the abdomen (fat, intestine, etc) pushes through the layer of the stomach, usually near the navel region. This happens when the muscles and tissues around the umbilical cord fail to close after birth (as they ideally do for most babies). 

Usually, a hernia can develop anytime before the child is 6 months old and there are high chances that it will be resolved on its own by the time the child reaches the age of 2 years. However, many a time, you need to have a hernia treatment as well as surgery to get it fixed. This is applicable if,

  • You child visibility seems to be in pain due to the hernia.
  • The hernia does not resolve on its own, even when the child reaches the age 2 or more. 
  • The hernia is quite big.
  • The hernia keeps growing in size with time.

You can consider hernia treatment before the child reaches the age 5 to ensure it does not create any hindrance in their path of study and normal life. 

It has been found more common in babies with low birth weight or premature birth, but it can happen to any child in general. In case you find a lump near the belly button of your infant, get it checked from a pediatrician. Though they might not need surgery, it is crucial to keep tracks of its size and symptoms with time. ILS Hospitals have expert pediatricians to help your child lead a healthy life ahead.