Newborn with Possible Umbilical Hernia

Yep, it will most likely go away on its own. My daughter had one, too, she's 20 months and its totally gone. don't worry. It just happens sometimes and isn't a big deal.

My daughter developed an umbilical hernia after her cord fell off as well. It fixed itself once she was about 5 or 6 months old. Once babies start using their abdominal muscles and strengthening that area, it goes right back down. My daughter's belly button is a super cute little innie now!

My youngest daughter had a herniated bellybutton, too. It stuck WAY out, and I was really worried. It didn't seem to bother her, though, and my pediatrician advised that it would correct itself. She is now 6, and has a darling little 'outie' bellybutton.

My son, now six months, has an umbilical hernia. Do not try to tape it down, place quarter on it, etc. These things do not make them go away. You will get used to seeing it. My son's hernia is a result of his prematurity. Both the NICU nurses and doctors from his birth and our pediatrician have assured me that it doesn't hurt him. We were told they usually go away by age three or four and at that point, if there is still excess skin, it can be surgically corrected for cosmetic reasons. Although it doesn't sound like that is necessary very often. Our son's was about the size of a grape, slightly bigger when he was straining/upset. Recently we've noticed that it is getting smaller and no longer seems to expand when he is worked up. Our pediatrician told us some children's hernias are the size of a plum! We did fold the edge of his diapers under so they weren't rubbing on it when he was little.

Good luck!

I was looking at your other posts and we also live in Kettering. Who is your pediatrician? Feel free to contact me, I have two children; a three-year-old daughter and a six-month-old son (his adjusted age is four months).

You have already gotten a lot of responses, but my story is alittle different. I had a friend whose daughter had an umbilical hernia that was really bad, it didn't always seem to bother her, but she had lots of problems with constipation, so when my 2nd son was born and HE had an umbilical hernia, too, we knew a little more about them than we may otherwise have known BUT my son did experience discomfort from it and when he was about 3 months old when the hernia was still getting bigger, we decided to try the quarter thing (also about this time our friends ped told her that her dd would HAVE to have surgery) Honest to goodness, the hernia was completely gone within 3 weeks. I believe that sone old wives tales are just that, tales...but sometimes you gotta think that if an idea has stuck around for hundreds of years there just might be something to it.

I will add that we taped the quarter over his bellybutton against the advice of our pediatrician, who said that it would never work and we were wasting out time/money and energy on something that would eventually go away on its own (like he could guarantee that) and he was SHOCKED, due to the hernias size, to find out that the hernia had disappeared so quickly. My mother is in family practice and she said to go ahead and give it a try. Of course we kept the area clean and dry, we used the sensitive medical tape and a brand new quarter, and only put it on at night. IMO, it definitely won't HURT the baby to have a quarter taped to his bellybutton, but it just MIGHT help, so why not give it a try.

one more thing, I often feel like the Drs dont' want us to try home remedies because they can't charge for them. My mom is a PA and she has noticed this trend as well.

good luck in whatever you try or don't try, and congratulations on your new bundle of joy.
~J.

my niece had a umbilical hernia (c-section also, not a big cryer) & it did heal on its own. it seemed so large, that it was nearly unbelievable to think it would go away on its own, but it did! i don't remember when exactly, but before the first birthday for sure.

my daughter was born with that -- it is a herniated bellybutton. my pediatrician told me not to tape the quarter it will go down on it's own. She's 18 months and now only has a small outie -- her hernia has slowly healed on it's on and there is only a very small opening now that my dr. can feel. it doesn't hurt them -- i think it hurts us more to look at it. my dr. just told me to make sure it was 'soft' that i could push it back in. so i would check that a couples times a day when i changed her diaper. Enjoy your little one!

Hello A..

My son had the same thing his belly button stuck way out and the doc said give it some time a lot of times they go back down on thier own and if they don't when he's older he may have to have a surgery. I didn't do anything, it didn't seem to bother him or cause him discomfort in anyway and after about a month it went down and he now has a inny. So just hang in there and see what the doc says but from my experience all you can is wait right now.

Hello,
My son has one and they told me to just watch for it to turn black or blue. This means there is something very wrong and to go straight to the emergency room. Also watch for it to be painful to the touch. If it seems to hurt they should go to the ER. They also told me that they can grow out of them or some need to be surgical fixed. Hope all goes well for your little one.
Hope this has helped you.

I actually had this very thing. My mother said she would tape a quarter over it when I was a baby because when I cried it stuck way out! Eventually it did seem to go down in fact for as long as I can remember it's been "normal". When I was pregnant it would also stick out, but it was mostly just a little embarrassing. However, when I had my tubes tied after my second child, the dr. went ahead and took care of it since they were already in there. I haven't noticed any difference. So unless it does get infected...which is possible with all babies until it heals...it should be fine. I'm 40 yrs old and have had no problems with it!

My second son had one. His was quite large as well. Our Dr kept an eye on it and said that if it didn't correct itself by age 3 then we would need to discuss surgical options. Sure enough it went away, all on it's own. My son has a half outie :) Not sure if it had anything to do with the hernia or if that's just the way it is!

My niece had one at birth as well and has gone away within the first year.

No worries, it will most likely correct itself.

My daughter had one too. She just turned a year old yesterday. It was small and then just kept growing until it was larger than a quarter. I was so worried and my ped recommended she see a pediatric surgeon and I did and he said that since it was so large there was a 50% chance it would not go away on its own and if so she may later require surgery. Luckily around a month and a half later I noticed that it started getting smaller. In about two months it was completely gone. You would probably classify it as an outie now, though just barely. It neither really sticks out or is it in. It looks fine and you would never know she had a hernia.

Well, I don't know if this will help but it took 3 mths for them to tell me for sure....My son had what looked like to me an"outie after his cord fell off. I kept asking everytime I went to the Pedi. It was red in color but otherwise didn't bother him. It didn't puss/have white stuff but it was hard. Finally, once I went to Riley to see a specialist she told me this...Some of his skin attached to the cord so it pulled it (looking like an outie) and it was red because it was still somewhat raw. She said it would be skin colored within a couple months to a year. That was 4 mths ago and it is already turning skin colored. I don't know if this is a possibility to what your lil man has but maybe! If it isn't hurting him and isn't pussing then it could be what happened to my boy. Hope this helps. Congrats

Good Morning. All 3 of my children had umbilical hernias and they all corrected on their own. 2 of them have "outies". Those 2 had the condition a little longer (corrected within the first year)than the other (his was corrected by about 3 months). I don't know if that had anything to do with the shape. Your doctor will probably recommend no treatment. Don't worry, it should be fine.

Hello there. I had my daughter C Section as well and she had the same problem. Her stump was on for a LONG time and when I took her to the Dr they said it looked ok and not worry about it. I took her back to the Dr and they sort of worked it off which I was not to happy about b/c it really Bleed and I know it had to hurt. Anyway she was diagnosed with a hernia and it never really bothered her and yes it REALLY stuck out there big time. When she cried it came out worse. She is 4 now and it is gone well just not sticking out like it did . It has been in for about 1 1/2 yrs. Dr said it would be gone by the time she went to kindergarten I said Lord I hope so well it did lol... I had heard about the quarter thing to but never did it just let it play it's course and he will be ok with it. Avery her belly button does stick out but not a lot and it is soft not hard... Hope this helps you some. I have pictures of her in the tub as a baby with it sticking out lol. I can send you a before and after picture if you want me to so you can see the difference. Let me know and I will do it for you..... Take Care, M. SAHM of 2 Avery 4 adn Quentin 13 mo. VERY active kiddos that is for sure... Married for 7 yrs.

First off, congratulations on the birth of your son! Secondly, my 2nd son was born 8 weeks premature and had an umbilical hernia. What you described is what he had. At times it would be very scary. But when we told his doctor about it, she said it was a very common occurrence for preemies, and that they typically outgrow it. The doctors kept a close eye on it. In the end, he did outgrow it, thankfully! If it doesn't heal on its own, surgery is often times needed. It can look scary and painful. The quarter thing doesn't work, like you said, it's an old wives tale and those are usually not trustworthy or practical. Just keep an eye on it, make your dr. aware of its presence. Other than that, there's not much you can do. It freaked us out a few times, even after we knew what it was, just 'cause it'd get so big. Ben's now 2½ yrs. old and has an outtie and no more hernia.

My niece's son was born with an umbilical hernia and to me it looked pretty bad when he cried but the doctor said it should go away on its own (if it didn't I think there would have to be some kind of surgery) and it did. He's now 18 months old and you could never tell that he had that problem.

My daughter who is now almost three also has one. It has gotten smaller with her age, our doctor told us that if it is not all the way gone by five they would look at correcting it. It does stick out more when she cries or after she has eaten a big meal, we call it her "turkey timer". We know she is stuffed when it pops out! When she was a newborn our dr said we could just push it in and place a band aid over it so that it wasn't in the way. We did but she has sensitive skin and broke out from the bandaid. So we just let it go and she has been fine.

Congrats on your baby boy! My son had an umbilical hernia when he was an infant. I took him to a pediatric surgeon that our pediatrician recommended. He confirmed that it was a hernia and then told us to wait and see if it corrected itself. He said they don't usually operate until a child is 4-5 years old because most close on their own. I had visions of kids laughing at him at the pool but the hernia was gone by his 1st b-day. Now he has a cute little belly button! Hopefully you will have the same outcome!

My oldest daughter(also a C-section) had an outie for almost a year....it eventually popped in on its own! She's now 16 and you would never know it was a problem.

DO NOT TAPE OR PUT A QUARTER ON IT!!!!!! My daughter has one and one way to check is to slightly push it back in or put your hand over it. If it feels like it is "squishy" in there or you hear or feel any air or noises then it is. It usually is no big deal, but DO NOT keep pushing it in that is his intestines and you can irratate them if you do. He might get gassy faster but once your son starts moving around it will get smaller. I am still dealing with it still and my daughter is almost 10 months old. So I am not sure how it will turn out but I will keep you posted. I can tell you it does not seem to hurt them at all, it bothers us mothers a thousand times more then it will them.
Good luck and I hope that is all it is.
R.

my daughter also had a u hernia......I took her to a surgeon who was ready to cut her open at 4 months. Thankfully I got a second opinion and it was to leave it alone it will heal it self
...Thank God I did...she never had surgery...I did heal on its own and she has a very cute belly button.
Good luck
A.

OK, first of all, the way he's delivered has nothing to do with a hernia, so the c-section isn't the culprit. Second, unless it pains him (does he cry when you touch it?) there's nothing to worry about. My son's was just a little herniated and it corrected itself. A friend's son's was herniated and was a HUGE bulge the size of a quarter! But it wasn't painful, so they left it alone. She moved when he was about 6 months, so I don't know what came of it.
In any case, don't worry unless it seems to be giving him pain and then make an appointment to see the doc before the well-check.

My daughter was a preemie and developed an umbilical hernia while she was in the nicu. Hers did the same thing when she strained or cried and it became very huge. The nurses at the nicu and our Pediatrician told us that it would likely go away on its own. If it did not by the age of 2 or 3, there could be a possible elect surgery. Our daughter's went away with time and now she has a normal looking navel, a bit of an outie; however, no hernia. I've heard too about the quarter thing, and I don't think I would try it because, if it was our daughter, she would strain harder to get the quarter off of her. :)
Hope this helps! and Congratulations on your little boy!!! God bless!!!

I know exactly how you are feeling. My first born had an umbilical hernia also. But the thing about that was when she was born she had a tumor on her left buttock. She had to wait until she was 18 months to have her hernia removed. Now she is three and running around like a normal toddler. Sometimes they are not that bad to where it is needed to be removed surgically and some will. Only a pediatrician can tell you that. But good luck and I hope that everything goes well.

Like the majority of the responses have said, they usually heal on their own. My son has an innie. We never taped anything over it or did anything to it. A lady here at our office has a baby five months ago and they actually scheduled surgery for this month because they said the hernia was so severe it was unlikely to heal on it's own. Anyway, surgery was canceled cause it did...

My son (7/10/07) had the exact same thing after he was born. The Dr. said to just leave it alone and it would heal itself, and it did! We were concerned because when you pushed down on it you could hear his intestines moving around on the inside, very scary for a first time mom (I was too!). They told us it would be healed by 12 mos.; it healed before then, around 4-5 I think.

As far as preventing it from irritation, keep the diaper folded over as to not cover it. Just let it get the room it needs. You could even see my son's through his clothes I remember.

Oh, and so far his belly button is an outie! :-)

Hi! Yes my son had the exact same thing. He is now 13 months old and it is completly healed. It healed up when he was about 6 months old. My pedi told me it was nothing to worry about.(cuz i was freaking out) Hope this helps!

Hi A.,
My three year old had a terrible umbilical hernia as an infant. It looked like a lemon sticking off his belly! (The pediatrician told me it could even leak urine! That never happened with us...I think I would have totally freaked!)
It was nearly gone by his first birthday, but he still has an "outie" that's a bit bigger than the norm. The doctor said if it's not gone by 4-5, then it most likely won't close by itself and we could elect to have a surgery...hope that helps! :)
And congrats on your little one!

even if the quarter is sterile, you giving germs & bacteria the nice warm & dark atmospshere to thrive. you don't want to cover it at all, you want air to get to it so it can heal properly. my aunt had an umbilical when she was born & her pediatrician waited until she was 3 yrs old to remove it, it had gotten to be the size of a golf ball & then her parents couldn't let her cry at all for over 6 weeks(she got really spoiled). most doctors now wait until they are of a certain weight unless it is life threatening not to wait. my son's problem was his didn't close after it fell off, i told the docs to do what they could before just opting right away for surgery, so they used steri-strips & within a month it was closed & he hasn't had problems since. if your pediatrician opts for surgery, tell them you want x-rays & cat scans and/or an MRI done before hand & you want to have him tested at the hospital to make sure he won't be allergic to the anestesia they'll use. i'll keep you in my prayers. God be with you.

Hi A.,
Both of my kids had them. My son's stuck way out. It looked like a torpedo. Both of them healed on their own and they both have innie belly buttions. It was no big deal in my case. My daughter was also a c-section and my son was VBAC. I don't think the delivery method matters. I wouldn't worry about it. It should heal itself.