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Home /
Quick Facts: Children's Health Issues /
Digestive Disorders in Children /
... /
Umbilical Hernia in Children /
IN THIS TOPIC

What is an umbilical hernia?

What are the symptoms of an umbilical hernia?

What are the complications of umbilical hernias?

How to doctors treat umbilical hernias in children?

OTHER TOPICS IN THIS CHAPTER

Digestive Disorders in Children
Appendicitis in Children
Gastroenteritis in Children
Gastroesophageal Reflux in Children
Umbilical Hernia in Children
Inguinal Hernia in Children
Intussusception
Meckel Diverticulum
Pyloric Stenosis

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Selective Immunoglobulin Deficiency
Immunoglobulins are proteins that protect the body from infections. There are several types of immunoglobulins, and any one of them may be deficient in people with “selective immunoglobulin deficiency.” Which of the following is the most common immunoglobulin deficiency? 

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Quick Facts

Umbilical Hernia in Children

By

The Manual's Editorial Staff

Last full review/revision Dec 2019| Content last modified Dec 2019
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What is an umbilical hernia?

A hernia is a hole or weak spot in muscles. Sometimes organs in your belly, most likely part of the intestines, push through this spot.

The umbilicus is the belly button. Some babies are born with a small opening in the belly muscles near the belly button. An umbilical hernia is when part of your child’s intestine bulges through this opening.

What are the symptoms of an umbilical hernia?

Umbilical hernias may not cause any symptoms.

They cause a soft bulge. The bulge is usually there all the time or may be there only during coughing or straining when passing stool. Sometimes, there's no bulge but the doctor can feel a hole in the muscle.

  • Umbilical hernias are very common in infants

  • Often, doctors wait for them to go away on their own—they usually close by the time a child is 5

  • Sometimes, umbilical hernias cause complications

What are the complications of umbilical hernias?

Rarely the intestine becomes trapped in the opening (incarcerated) and can't be pushed back by the doctor. The intestine's blood supply may shut off (a condition called strangulation), which is very painful and dangerous.

How to doctors treat umbilical hernias in children?

Umbilical hernias usually go away on their own by age 5. If the hernia is very big, your doctor will do surgery by age 2.

Your child will need surgery to fix the hernia if:

  • It cuts off blood supply to the intestines

  • The hernia doesn't go away on its own

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Gastroesophageal Reflux in Children
Inguinal Hernia in Children
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