Question
A two-and-a-half-month-old infant, born as a full-term low birth weight baby, had a spiral umbilical cord that detached at 18 days. A few days before the detachment, there was a slight bulge in the umbilicus. Currently, the bulging condition of the infant’s umbilicus has worsened, reaching the size of one and a half fists when exerted. The parents want to know if the infant’s umbilical hernia can heal without a belt.
Answer
An umbilical hernia in infants, commonly known as a “gas belly umbilical hernia,” is a congenital condition. The umbilical scar area is a congenital weakness where the fetus passes through the abdominal wall via the umbilical cord in the uterus. During infancy, the two sides of the abdominal muscles do not completely close at the midline, leaving a defect known as an umbilical ring. When infants cry excessively, cough, experience abdominal discomfort, or have diarrhea, it increases intraperitoneal pressure, causing abdominal organs, especially the small intestine, along with the peritoneum and skin to gradually protrude from the umbilicus, forming an umbilical hernia. Most infant umbilical hernias heal over time