What Is An Umbilical Hernia You Might Ask?<<>>An Umbilical Hernia can occur if there is a weakness in the abdominal muscle causing a section of the intestine to protrude through. In appearance it will look like a soft bulge underneath the skin, this is where the hernia has occurred. In young babies the hernia normally occurs around the belly button. If a hernia is going to develop in a baby it will normally happen in the first few weeks or months after the baby is born, this can happen if there is a weakness in the muscles of the abdomen. There is another type of hernia called inguinal hernia this develops in the groin area of babies as opposed to the belly button. Many parents of newborn babies will ask the question as to what exactly is an umbilical hernia. It means that as the fetus is growing and developing in the mother’s womb during pregnancy, connected to the abdominal muscles is a small opening this is so the umbilical cord can pass through which connects the mother to the fetus. When the baby is born the small opening in the abdominal muscles closes as the baby starts to mature. However in some cases this does not always happen and these muscles don’t meet and grow together completely still leaving a small opening present. It is because of this happening that it allows a small loop of intestine to move into the opening between the abdominal muscles, and it is this that causes a hernia. There can be about 10 percent of all babies who may have been born with an umbilical hernia; the babies where a hernia has a higher occurrence risk are perhaps from a sibling or parent that had a hernia as a baby, abnormalities of the urethra, cystic fibrosis, developmental dysplasia of the hip, this does not mean to say a hernia can happen but they can occur more often in babies who have one or more of these risk factors. The main concern regarding a hernia is that on occasions a loop of intestine which protrudes through a hernia can become stuck therefore is no longer reducible. If this occurs, this means it will not be possible to gently push back the intestinal loop back into the abdominal cavity. If this does happen then the section of intestine may possibly lose its blood supply. It is necessary for the intestine to have a good blood supply to be able to be healthy and function properly. Umbilical hernias can usually occur in newborn babies but sometimes they may not become noticeable until several weeks or even months after a birth. There are those who believe straining and crying may cause a hernia this is not true however it may make the hernia more noticeable due to increased pressure in the abdomen. The way to check for a hernia in a newborn or as mentioned it may happen weeks or months later are if a bulge or swelling starts to appear around the belly button area. The time to check for any signs of swelling is when the babies cries but as you relax and calm your baby the swelling can get smaller or go away. If you see your doctor or physician they will normally press gently on the bulge when the baby is calm and lying down. Normally it will get smaller or can go back into the abdomen. The most important thing for any mother to do is if you are unsure of anything regarding your baby is to go and see your doctor or physician. Umbilical hernias can close on their own by the time a child reaches its first birthday without the need of surgery or even up to 5 years of age.
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