The main sign of an umbilical hernia is a visible bump under the skin by the belly button. The hernia can get bigger and smaller: It can get bigger when a child does something that creates pressure in the belly, like standing up, crying, coughing, or straining to poop.
How do I know if my baby has a hernia?
Symptoms of umbilical hernia include:
- A slight swelling or even a bulge near the belly button.
- The spot becomes larger and harder when the baby cries, coughs, or strains, due to the increase of pressure on the abdomen.
- Under normal circumstances, the hernia is not painful to the touch.
Do hernia in babies go away?
Most of the time, a hernia that starts before 6 months of age will go away by 1 year of age. But some children get or still have an umbilical hernia when they are infants or toddlers. Umbilical hernias almost always close on their own as a child grows. But sometimes surgery is needed.
What causes baby hernias?
A hernia can develop in the first few months after a baby is born. It happens because of a weakness in the abdomen muscles. Straining and crying don’t cause hernias. But the increased pressure in the belly can make a hernia more easily seen.
What happens if a baby has a hernia?
When your child has an inguinal hernia, you can usually see a bulge in the groin or scrotum. The bulge will typically come and go. It may get bigger after your child is straining or crying. It may go away or get smaller during the night while your child is asleep or relaxed.
What does a hernia lump look like?
Appearance. The hernia will look like a bulge or bump in the scrotum or groin region. Standing or bearing down with force will often make the bulge more noticeable. The bulge typically takes time to appear, but it can form suddenly after coughing, lifting heavy weights, straining, bending, or laughing.
How do I know if my baby has inguinal hernia?
You should call an ambulance if your child has an inguinal hernia and they develop any of the following symptoms:
- being generally unwell.
- pain in the groin.
- nausea and vomiting.
- bloating or full abdomen.
- a swelling that is red or pale blue-grey in colour and is noticeably tender.
When should I be concerned about an umbilical hernia in babies?
If a child who has an umbilical hernia has the following symptoms, seek emergency care right away: pain in the area of the hernia; tenderness, swelling or discoloration of the hernia; an inability to easily push in the hernia tissue; and vomiting or constipation.
How is a hernia treated in babies?
If necessary, umbilical hernias can be treated with surgery to push the bulge back into place and strengthen the weakness in the abdominal wall. This operation may be recommended for your child if the hernia is large or hasn’t disappeared by the time they reach 3 or 4 years old.
Is a hernia an emergency?
Is my hernia a medical emergency? Hernias become a medical emergency if the intestine—or esophagus, in the case of hiatal hernias—becomes trapped or incarcerated, cutting off its own blood supply.
Can a baby girl have hernia?
In girls, the hernia appears as a lump extending from the groin into the upper labia (see Figure 1). This area is unique to girls. Inguinal hernias are common in infants and children.
Does an inguinal hernia hurt a baby?
Inguinal hernias are often more noticeable during times when the child is bearing down — crying, coughing, or straining to have a bowel movement. The bulge may seem to disappear when the child is quiet or resting. Inguinal hernias do not usually cause pain.
How do you treat an umbilical hernia in an infant?
Umbilical Hernia Treatment
Most umbilical hernias don’t need any treatment. Usually, the hole heals on its own by the time your child is 4 or 5 years old. Even if it doesn’t, it’ll likely get smaller. That’ll make surgery a bit easier.