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Everyone knows that the umbilical cord , which united the mother and baby during pregnancy, is cut at the time of delivery . Only a small piece of this cord, which is called “umbilical stump”, remains attached to the baby with plastic forceps. And it, in time, will fall, giving rise to what we know as the navel.
In the baby, the navel is still very unprotected, as it is healing. For this reason, it is necessary to be very careful with the hygiene of the place, avoiding possible bacterial infections and contamination that can be very harmful to the baby’s health. Knowing this, many mothers worry when something different appears in the baby’s navel. Something relatively common that gives rise to concern is the “stuffed” navel. However, this small bump that appears in the baby’s navel of 1 or 2 months (after the stump falls) is called an ” umbilical hernia ” and generally does not pose risks .
It is not customary to treat a baby’s belly with a puff. That’s because, in most cases, it regresses spontaneously before the baby’s first birthday. When the hernia does not disappear on its own, surgery can also be performed on the puffed navel, omphaloplasty, to correct the problem.
What is Hernia?
A hernia is a tongue, or protrusion (that “stuffed”) that, when it appears in the navel, is installed in the opening of the muscular wall of the belly. In babies, it is common to appear in the navel or groin , when an organ or tissue in his body moves to the upper part of the muscle.
A curiosity is that, during the first weeks of pregnancy, this opening of the belly in the embryo is proportionally quite large, so that your intestine is formed outside of it. At the end of the first trimester of pregnancy, the intestine returns into the abdomen and the muscular wall of the belly closes, leaving only a tiny opening, just for the umbilical cord.
The hernia can also be called by the doctors “herniation”. It is a phenomenon when the layers of tissue, fluids or organs of the body, in this case, the intestine, press on the existing opening , which causes the protrusion and prevents it to close.
Understand the Puffed Navel
The inflated newborn’s navel is more common in girls than in boys. These umbilical hernias occur in between 10% and 20% of children. One factor that influences the belly button being bloated is the baby being born.
This situation, fortunately, does not usually cause pain in the baby or be harmful to the child. The hernia is usually between one and five centimeters.
If your baby has an umbilical hernia, you may notice that the area around the umbilicus becomes more puffy, swollen, when he cries or strains to poop, for example. This is normal, and it happens because of the pressure from inside the belly . Sometimes this force, with the navel area still delicate, is what causes the hernia.
Is Some Treatment Necessary?
Although the appearance of a puffed belly button is not very pleasant and can be frightening (as some, even rare, get to be the size of a lemon), do not worry. Umbilical hernias are not a problem for the child if the navel hygiene is being done properly. The important thing is to make sure that the area is not sensitive or very swollen, and the protrusion should be soft.
Most likely, the hernia will disappear on its own , this happens in most cases and it can take up to a maximum of 3 years for the child. After that time, if the navel is still inflated, the pediatrician will assess the need for surgery.
IMPORTANT: Do not try to put the baby’s belly button inside. Do not wear clothes and tight bands or coins, which can suffocate the child or hurt the region.
What if the baby is in pain?
If the baby is uncomfortable or the area is stiff and has a color change, the pediatrician should be consulted as soon as possible. Some umbilical hernias do require treatment, which is done only with surgery . These emergency situations are extremely rare, it happens when a piece of the baby’s intestine is “hooked” by the hernia, which stops the blood circulation in the place. One of the symptoms is also the baby vomiting.
The good news is that if the baby needs surgical intervention, this is a simple operation, which does not usually require the child to spend more than one morning or afternoon in the hospital.
How is the Belly Button Surgery
The omphaloplasty or laparoscopy are surgeries used not only for herniated hernia, but for stenosis, absence of navel and others. One of the techniques, the most up-to-date, is to make a circular, semicircular, quadrangular, linear or cross design, in the place where the incisions will be made.
Then there will be very small , almost imperceptible, 0.5 to 1 cm incisions , made at the bottom of the navel. The surgeon will remove excess fat and tissue, and reshape the shape of the navel.
Sometimes, local anesthesia is used, but this is discussed and agreed with the doctor beforehand. The procedure takes, on average, one to two hours .
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My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.
