Patient's question:
I recently noticed that when my son cries, his navel becomes very prominent, and it looks a bit swollen. I'm very worried—could there be a problem? What should I do if a baby's navel is prominent?Doctor's answer:
Hello, when an infant cries, the umbilical cord protrudes, this is called an umbilical hernia, because during embryonic development, the umbilical cord is the closest part to the abdominal wall, the umbilical cord lacks adipose tissue, the outermost layer of the skin fascia of the abdominal wall is directly connected to the peritoneum, becoming the weakest part of the abdominal wall. Therefore, the abdominal contents are prone to protrude from this area to form an umbilical hernia. Most umbilical hernias heal within a year, gradually contracting the umbilical fascial ring. Therefore, before the age of two, non-surgical treatment can be used to promote healing. If it has not healed after more than two weeks, surgical treatment is required.