Question
The baby’s navel is protruding about 2 cm. The doctor said a few months would be fine, but as it becomes more prominent, we went to the hospital again yesterday. What should we do about the baby’s protruding navel?
Answer
During the human fetal stage, there are two arteries, one vein, one yolk sac duct, and one umbilical cord duct that connects to the mother to obtain nutrition. Before and after birth, these structures gradually ossify, and when the umbilical cord ring is locked, it forms the umbilical cord ring. If the function is blocked or delayed, some small intestinal fascia may protrude from the umbilical ring, which is called an umbilical hernia. Most children’s umbilical hernias are easy to resolve and do not tend to become incarcerated; some may heal spontaneously within a year. However, according to the description, the child’s condition is somewhat serious. The diameter of the umbilical hernia is now about 2 millimeters. The effect of a hernia belt is not very good. It is best to combine local doctor’s advice and seek surgical treatment as soon as possible (surgical treatment should be considered for umbilical hernias with a diameter exceeding 1.5 millimeters).