Herniated Belly Button - can anyone enlighten me?

[Haydies]

Hi Girls,

Just got back from the Drs and DD has a herniated belly button. Apparently it's small and I've been told it's nothing to worry about and should clear up on it's own in 3 - 5 years.

Just wanting a little more info I guess. Has anyone had a child with it? Apparently they're very common? Should I be worried and get a second opinion? Are they nothing to worry about? Etc..

[myson]

Hi Haydies. My nephew had one. it was about the size of a small apricot. It disappeared by 12 months with no treatment.

I think they look a bit worrying but all should be fine. And didnt seem to worry him at all as a bub.

[Emma_31]

Hi Haydies,

DD had one also. And it was really big, it also made sounds when she would strain, like crying or pooping. We were told the same thing, not to worry until she's 3-5. It disappeared on its own at around 4 months of age. Now it looks normal. Hope it helps.

[Haydies]

Thanks for the quick replies girls. DD's is only really small - just the bottom part of her belly button sticks out a bit. looks like her belly button is pouting lol.

[Novella]

Jasmine had quite a large one, but it has almost gone now. Gp said it was fine but I got a second one from a paed who also said it would resolve on its own by 5yo

[Snacks]

Nothing to worry about, aparently. My understanding of it is that it can sometimes become evident later on (as in your DD's case) because her tummy muscles are starting to firm up. The hernia is caused by a little opening in the bit between the rectus abdominus muscles where they join together called the linea alba, which is where the umbilical cord inserted. I believe most of them clear up by age 1, and certainly by school age. If it doesn't go away by school age then it's not likely to, so they may have to perform very minor surgery to stitch the linea alba.
The only concern is that abdominal contents don't come out the hole. That will likely hurt, and the hernia may change colour. This is an emergency and should be corrected straight away because you don't want the hole to cut off the blood supply to that part of the abdominal contents (e.g. a bit of the intestine). As far as I'm aware, this sort of complication is very rare, so don't stress. Just watch it for changes and I'm sure you'll find it disappears over time no worries
HTH.

[Haydies]

Thankyou for that reply Snacks, that confirms what I've been reading via google (been searching ever since I got home).

[Danni]

My Ds has a little brown bit on the bottom of his belly button. A bit like a pimple. Is this what you are talking about?

[Snacks]

LOL, probably where my A&P lecture notes came from Not something terribly relevant to massage but the lecturer liked to go on tangents. He did tell us that he got heaps of info off the internet... Hope it is accurate anyway.

Danni - probably an umbilical hernia would be bigger than a pimple? I don't know as I've never seen one. How long has he had it? Has your GP or MCHN seen it? If so, they should've told you if it was a hernia.

[Danni]

Its been there since he was born. He has an outtie belly button but this is poking out extra. My sister said her DS had one too and it had to be burnt off?

[Haydies]

My Ds has a little brown bit on the bottom of his belly button. A bit like a pimple. Is this what you are talking about?

Hrm, not quite. DD's is more the bottom 'lip' part of her belly button sticks out. I'll see if I can get a photo of it the next time she's in the bath (as she stands and is more obvious then).

[kawazuki]

yeh my DD had taht from birth she is now 16 montsh adn its almost gone. i can feel it occasionally.
hers was the size of a 50cent piece and has just been left alone.
only side effect so far is when she crys her belly button pops out and she doesnt really have an inny or an outy its kinda half half if that makes sense

it doesnt bother her at all, she plays with it and is quite fascinated by it when it pops out.

it really is no problem, unless it starts to eb painfull or so large you can see skin discouloration.

[Snacks]

Dunno about the burning off, Danni... That's certainly not how they treat hernias. Could your nephew's have been a wart or something?
Can you ask your dr about M's? Can you push it back in? (I'm not sure if they can all do this, but I know with many hernias you can push it back in and then it pops out again.) Haven't looked online but there might be photos somewhere... Although they'll probably only show the really major ones on the net I imagine...

[kawazuki]

yes you can massage them back down which is good i used to give DD's a massage when i was changing her nappy.

the stomach muscles will close up over them. its because when they are in teh womb they feed off teh umbilicle cord and the muscles are lax around it and the split to allow the cord through. and then need to close up.

[queenbee]

Haydies, our DD has one now. Saw doctor the other day and she said it should disappear within the next 12 months. If not, we will be referred to a paed surgeon. I hope it goes away. When she cries, it is a small grape size lump above her belly button

[Haydies]

Managed to snag a pic of her belly button today. As you can see, it's not that big, so hopefully should just go away on it's own.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3310/...3551da11_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3089/...cac2153b_o.jpg

[Snacks]

Thanks for sharing the pics. It's good to see it. Funny, I don't know if I would've noticed anything was up? Its only small like you said. Spose that's why we go to Drs and things

[minimatron]

My dd has one and only popped out after she turned 1. First she had an innie then the belly button looks like an outie. The paed said that its nothing to worry about and by the time she gets to 4 or 5 the torso changes shape and it corrects itself. At the moment the torso is more barrel like and in a few years it get longer. like someone said earlier that the only thing you have to watch out for is if the contents comes out....which is rare. The paed said if it cant be pushed back in or it becomes red and hot then to go to the drs. Hope that helps.