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An umbilical hernia occurs when part of your intestine bulges through the opening in your abdominal muscles near your bellybutton (navel). Umbilical hernias are common and typically harmless. Umbilical hernias are most common in infants, but they can affect adults as well. In an infant, an umbilical hernia may be especially evident when the infant cries, causing the bellybutton to protrude. This is a classic sign of an umbilical hernia. Children's umbilical hernias often close on their own in the first two years of li...
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An umbilical hernia creates a soft swelling or bulge near the navel. In babies who have an umbilical hernia, the bulge may be visible only when they cry, cough or strain.
Umbilical hernias in children are usually painless. Umbilical hernias that appear during adulthood may cause abdominal discomfort.
During gestation, the umbilical cord passes through a small opening in the baby's abdominal muscles. The opening normally closes just after birth. If the muscles don't join together completely in the midline of the abdominal wall, an umbilical hernia may appear at birth or later in life.
In adults, too much abdominal pressure contributes to umbilical hernias. Causes of increased pressure in the abdomen include:
Most umbilical hernias in babies close on their own by age 1 or 2.Your doctor may even be able to push the bulge back into the abdomen during a physical exam. Don't try this on your own, however.
Although some people claim a hernia can be fixed by taping a coin down over the bulge, don't try this. Placing tape or an object over the bulge doesn't help and germs may accumulate under the tape, causing infection.
For children, surgery is typically reserved for umbilical h...
For informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
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