A hernia is when an internal part of the body, such as an organ, pushes through a weakness in the muscle or surrounding tissue wall.
What is an umbilical hernia?
An umbilical hernia occurs when fatty tissue or a part of the bowel pokes through into an area near the navel (belly button). It pushes through a weak spot in the surrounding muscle wall (abdominal wall).
Umbilical hernias are very common in infants, with one in 10 young children being affected. They are especially common in babies who are premature (born early).
During pregnancy, the umbilical cord passes through an opening in the baby's abdominal wall. This opening should close before birth, but in some cases the muscles do not seal completely. This leaves a weak spot, which can lead to the development of an umbilical hernia.
The hernia appears as a lump in the navel that may get bigger when your child is laughing, coughing, crying or using the toilet. It may shrink when your child is relaxed or lying down. It is not painful.
Occasionally, an umbilical hernia can develop in adults. The following factors make this more likely to happen:
- being overweight,
- lifting heavy objects,
- having a persistent cough, and
- having a multiple pregnancy.
These pages focus on umbilical hernia repair in children.
Repairing the umbilical hernia
An umbilical hernia repair is a small operation to push the bulge back into place and to strengthen the abdominal wall.
In many cases of umbilical hernia in children, the operation is not necessary. Nine out of 10 umbilical hernias heal without treatment by the time the child reaches three or four years of age. Your surgeon will usually advise you to wait for your child to reach this age before considering having an operation.
In most cases, the umbilical hernia retracts (goes back in) and the muscles re-seal before the child's first birthday.
However, in very rare cases, the bit of bowel can get stuck outside the abdomen. This causes pain and vomiting, and could result in damage to your child's bowel. To prevent bowel damage, your child will need to have the operation straight away.
Outlook
An umbilical hernia repair is a very successful operation, and complications are rare. After the operation, the bulge will disappear and the belly button should look normal.
