Question
I recently noticed that my son’s navel becomes visibly prominent and slightly swollen whenever he cries. I’m quite worried; is there any problem with this?
Answer
Hello, when infants cry, a prominent navel is often due to the navel being the part of the abdominal wall closest to the surface during fetal development, lacking fatty tissue. This makes the abdominal contents easily protrude from this area, forming a hernia. Most umbilical hernias heal on their own within a year, and the outer layer of the abdominal wall’s skin fascia gradually contracts. Therefore, non-surgical treatments can be used to promote healing before the age of two. If it continues to persist without healing, surgical treatment should be considered.