In our society, a protruding or protruding belly button is often considered unsightly and is often concealed. A protruding belly button is the medical term for an umbilical hernia.
Pediatrician Dr. Arifianto, Sp.A (K)., or better known as Doctor Apin, said that he once found a patient whose navel had been covered with a five hundred coin because it was a fake.
In a post on October 4, 2016, Dr. Apin said that his baby patient’s navel had a thousand rupiah coin stuck to it.
After asking the baby’s parents, it was discovered that the baby had a protruding navel.
Doctor Apin then explained that protruding navels occur in 10-20% of newborns and are still considered normal.
As time goes by, the protruding navel will disappear even if nothing is done.
If an infection occurs, such as redness or the baby appears to be in pain in the navel area, is swollen, and painful to the touch, then treatment should be carried out by a doctor.
What is a Protruding Navel or Umbilical Hernia?
While still in the womb, the fetus gets oxygen and food through the umbilical cord
The umbilical cord passes through a small hole in the abdominal muscles.
In most cases, the hole will close soon after the baby is born.
A protruding belly button, or in medical terms known as an umbilical hernia, occurs because the abdominal muscles are not attached properly.
There is a part of the intestine or other tissue that appears on the surface, causing swelling in the skin and making the navel more prominent.
As many as 90% of cases of protruding navels in babies will disappear on their own after the baby reaches toddlerhood.
However, if the bulge does not disappear after the age of 4 years , then surgery is required.
Umbilical Hernia Symptoms
The main symptom of an umbilical hernia is swelling or a bulge near the navel.
The bulge may only be visible when the baby cries, coughs, or strains. This symptom may not appear when the baby is calm or relaxed.
Umbilical hernia lumps can grow and shrink.
The lump can get bigger when the baby does something that creates pressure on the stomach, then it can get smaller again when the baby is lying quietly.
Umbilical hernias in infants and children are usually painless.
Adults can also get umbilical hernias.
The main symptoms are the same, but umbilical hernias that appear in adulthood can cause discomfort in the abdomen.
Surgical treatment is usually required to treat it.
If your baby has an umbilical hernia, you should also be aware of symptoms that may indicate a more serious situation that requires medical treatment, such as:
- The baby looks in pain
- Baby vomiting
- The hernia bulge feels very tender
- The hernia bulge is swollen or changes color
If you find the symptoms above, parents should immediately take their child to the doctor to get the right treatment.
Causes of a Protruding or Protruding Navel
A protruding belly button can occur in both babies and adults.
Several factors such as premature birth and low birth weight babies have a higher risk of experiencing this umbilical hernia.
In the case of adults, it is usually influenced by weak abdominal muscles which makes the navel more prominent.
Other factors include being overweight, having too many pregnancies, multiple pregnancies , abdominal surgery, and fluid in the abdominal cavity.
Dr. Meta Hanindita, a pediatrician, said, “In babies who have just had their navels removed , the navel will indeed appear prominent. But in some babies, the protrusion can be larger because the umbilical ring inside the navel doesn’t close completely.”
This graduate of the Faculty of Medicine, Airlangga University, also emphasized that whether or not a baby’s navel is protruding is not caused by errors when cutting the umbilical cord.
But because the formation of the baby’s organs during the trimester of pregnancy is less than perfect.
“In addition, several studies also mention genetic factors as one of the influencing factors,” added Dr. Meta.
Risk Factors
Several conditions can increase a person’s risk of developing an umbilical hernia. These include:
- Obesity: Being overweight is one factor that can increase a person’s risk of developing this condition. Children and adults with obesity are at a significantly higher risk of developing an umbilical hernia compared to individuals whose body mass index (BMI) is within a healthy weight range.
- Age: Babies, especially those born prematurely, have a higher risk of umbilical hernia than adults.
- Coughing: Prolonged coughing can increase the risk of a hernia because the force of the cough puts pressure on the abdominal wall.
- Pregnancy: Pregnant women can experience umbilical hernias. Multiple pregnancies carry a higher risk of developing this condition.
Diagnosis
Umbilical hernias most commonly occur in infants, especially premature infants and those with low birth weight.
This condition can also occur in both boys and girls.
The doctor will perform a physical examination to determine whether the baby or adult has an umbilical hernia.
The doctor will see whether the hernia can be pushed back into the abdominal cavity (reduced) or whether it cannot (trapped in place).
An incarcerated hernia is a potentially serious complication because the trapped portion of the hernia contents can lose its blood supply.
This can cause permanent tissue damage.
The doctor may also perform an X-ray or ultrasound of the abdominal area to ensure there are no serious complications.
In addition, the doctor may also ask the baby to undergo a blood test to check for infection or ischemia, especially if the hernia cannot be reduced.
Umbilical Hernia Treatment
Umbilical hernias in babies rarely require any specific treatment or care.
Many cases of umbilical hernias close or disappear naturally by the time the baby is 1 or 2 years old, and in almost all cases they will heal by the age of four to five years.
Umbilical Hernia Surgery
Umbilical hernia surgery is a minor operation that usually takes about 20-30 minutes.
In most cases, patients who undergo surgery can go home the same day.
Surgery is performed by making an incision at the base of the navel and pushing the protruding tissue back into the abdomen.
Surgeons can perform open or laparoscopic surgery.
Next, the surgeon will then stitch the abdominal wall muscles to close the hole.
In some cases, they may use a special mesh to strengthen the area and prevent the condition from recurring.
This net can be made of synthetic materials or derived from animal tissue.
Animal-based structures can be absorbed into the body, while synthetic mesh is a permanent implant.
Preparation Before Surgery
Before surgery, the doctor will advise the patient not to eat or drink.
However, patients are still allowed to drink water up to 3 hours before surgery.
In addition, patients are also asked to stop taking anticoagulant drugs to reduce the risk of bleeding.
Most surgeons will perform umbilical hernia surgery with the individual under general anesthesia.
An anesthesiologist will guide the patient through this procedure before surgery.
Postoperative Care
Even though it is a minor operation, it is normal for patients to feel pain and discomfort afterward.
To reduce this sensation, the doctor may prescribe pain medication.
It is also advisable for patients to wear loose clothing to reduce this discomfort.
Swelling may also occur around the operated body part for several weeks.
The surgeon will sometimes apply a pressure dressing to the hernia.
It is important to keep it clean and dry to avoid infection.
Wearing a hernia support garment can help people recover from surgery and increase activity levels.
Complications
For children, complications of umbilical hernia are rare.
However, complications can occur when the protruding abdominal tissue becomes trapped and can no longer be pushed back into the abdominal cavity.
This condition can reduce the blood supply to the trapped section of intestine and can cause abdominal pain and tissue damage.
If the trapped section of intestine is completely cut off from its blood supply, it can cause tissue death.
The infection can also spread throughout the abdominal cavity, causing a life-threatening situation.
Therefore, immediate treatment such as surgery is necessary if the hernia is trapped and cannot be reduced or does not disappear in children.
When Should You Be Concerned About a Baby’s Protruding Belly Button?
Basically, umbilical hernia is a harmless condition.
However, there are certain conditions that parents should be aware of, namely:
- Umbilical hernia does not disappear at the age of 4 to 5 years
- Swollen lump
- The bulge is getting bigger
A pediatric surgeon may need to repair a hernia if it continues to enlarge, is very painful, becomes trapped.
Surgical repair of an umbilical hernia in patients of any age involves a small incision below the navel.
Umbilical hernia surgery is a relatively simple procedure that usually takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
General anesthesia is usually used so that there is no pain during the operation.
The surgeon will push the contents of the hernia sac back into the abdomen and stitch or use surgical mesh to close the hole.
Umbilical hernia surgery is usually a minor outpatient procedure that allows the patient to go home the same day.
This surgery may be recommended for a child if the hernia is large or has not disappeared by the time they reach 4 or 5 years of age.
Parents are usually advised to wait until their child reaches that age, as surgery is generally not necessary unless there are complications.
The risk of a child experiencing complications after surgery is also very low.
Possible Complications
Meanwhile, for adults who experience this condition, it is recommended to undergo surgery immediately.
The possibility of complications from a protruding navel is greater in adults and rarely disappears on its own like in babies.
Complications that can occur are:
- Obstruction – this is when part of the intestine becomes stuck outside the stomach, causing nausea, vomiting, and pain.
- Strangulation – occurs when a portion of the intestine becomes trapped, cutting off the blood supply. This condition requires immediate surgery to repair the trapped tissue and restore blood flow.
The operation is performed to strengthen the abdominal muscles, so that no more tissue comes out.
After surgery, it is recommended not to do heavy work until the surgical wound has completely healed.
Possible risks after surgery include the protruding navel reappearing, infection, and numbness in the leg area several hours after surgery.
If this happens, contact a doctor for consultation.
Popular Questions Regarding Umbilical Hernia
Parents may still be curious about some information about protruding navels or umbilical hernias.
Here are some frequently asked questions and their answers regarding this condition:
Is an umbilical hernia dangerous?
Umbilical hernias in children are usually harmless.
However, additional complications later in life can occur in both children and adults if the umbilical cord is tied.
Intestines that cannot be pushed back through the abdominal wall sometimes do not get enough blood supply.
This can cause pain and even kill tissue leading to dangerous infections or even death.
Can an umbilical hernia heal itself?
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, about 90 percent of umbilical hernias will eventually close on their own.
If the umbilical hernia does not close by the time the child is 4 years old, further treatment is required.
Does an umbilical hernia need to be operated on?
Surgery may be recommended for children if their hernia is large or has not gone away by the time they reach 4 or 5 years of age.
Surgery is performed to push the bulge back into place and strengthen the weakness in the abdominal wall.
You are usually advised to wait until your child reaches this age as surgery is not essential unless there are complications.
Your child’s risk of experiencing complications is very low.
Can an umbilical hernia enlarge?
An umbilical hernia may enlarge when laughing, coughing, crying or when urinating.
It can also shrink in size when relaxing or lying down.
In most cases, the umbilical hernia goes back in and the muscles close on their own by the time the child is 4 or 5 years old.
So, Parents, now you know that a protruding belly button in a baby is not dangerous.
Umbilical hernias will disappear on their own as the baby gets older.
So, no need to worry or be anxious, okay, Mom!
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Republished with permission from theAsianParent Indonesia
