Patient's question:
My sister just had a baby in January, and the baby is two months old now. The belly button is sticking out a few centimeters. Is this an umbilical hernia? What can be done to fix it? Is it true that a protruding belly button in newborns is a hernia?Doctor's answer:
Hello, a protruding navel in babies is likely to be a hernia, also known as an umbilical hernia. Parents should pay attention to observation and provide supplementary treatment. The main cause is a congenital disease where the abdominal contents of infants and young children protrude through the umbilical ring, with an incidence rate of approximately 2.6%. Girls are more affected than boys, and premature and low-birth-weight infants have a relatively higher incidence. Long-term constipation or frequent crying in babies can promote the occurrence of umbilical hernia, but most infant umbilical hernias heal within the first year, with some showing improvement within 100 days. Specific advice is to take the child to the hospital for further diagnosis and examination.