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Umbilical Hernia

What is umbilical hernia?

A hernia is a bulging of tissue through an opening. An umbilical hernia occurs when intestine bulges into the belly button (umbilicus) through a weak spot or hole in the wall of the belly (abdomen). Usually this causes a small “outie” belly button. Sometimes the bulge is large.

Most of these hernias are harmless and go away by themselves. This may take up to four or five years. If the hernia is still present when your child is 4 or 5 years old, your surgeon will talk with you about repairing the hernia.

These hernias usually do not cause problems in children but can cause problems as the children get older. In teens and adults, belly fat or intestine may become trapped in the hernia (called incarceration). When this happens, the person may need emergency surgery. So usually a surgeon will recommend repairing an umbilical hernia that’s still there by the time a child is 4 to 5 years old.

Sometimes doctors recommend surgery earlier because an umbilical hernia is large. The term “large” can be confusing because the size of the bulge is usually not important. Rather, the size of the hole in the abdomen is important. It tells doctors more about whether or not a hernia is likely to heal on its own. Holes less than 2 centimeters (about one inch) usually will close on their own. Holes greater than 2 centimeters usually will not close and will require surgery.

Who gets umbilical hernia?

About 1 in 5 babies has this type of hernia. So it is very common.

What are the symptoms?

This type of hernia causes a bulge at the belly button. Most babies have no pain from these hernias. In the very rare case that the intestine gets trapped, blocked, or cut off from blood, children may have pain or other symptoms. These may include swelling, vomiting and fever.

How do you diagnose umbilical hernia?

Doctors can diagnose this type of hernia by examining your child. Your child will probably not need any tests or other procedures to diagnose their hernia.

What is your experience with umbilical hernia at Children’s?

We see many children with umbilical hernias each year at Children’s, and we perform a large number of operations to correct this condition.

When you come to Children’s, you have a team of people to care for your child before, during and after surgery. Along with your child’s surgeon, you are connected with nurses, dietitians, child life specialists, social workers and others. We work together to meet all of your child’s health needs and help your family through this experience.

Since 1907, Children’s has been treating children only. Our team members are trained in their fields and also in meeting the unique needs of children. For example, the doctors who give your child anesthesia are board certified in pediatric anesthesiology. This means they have extra years of training in how to take care of kids. Our child life specialists know how to help children understand their illnesses and treatments in ways that make sense for their age. Our expertise in pediatrics truly makes a difference for our patients and families.

How do you treat umbilical hernia?

Most children with this type of hernia will not have it repair until age 4 or 5 unless the hole in the belly is large.

An umbilical hernia is usually repaired as an outpatient surgery at the hospital, meaning your child can go home the same day.

At the time of surgery, your child will have general anesthesia. This means we will give your child medicine to make them sleep without pain during the surgery. The surgery is done through a very small cut, or incision, at the belly button. The surgeon will gently push the bulging tissue back into the abdomen and then close the opening in the abdominal wall. Finally, the surgeon will close the incision. The surgery takes about 30 minutes to one hour. Your child will be in the recovery room for another hour.

We will give your child pain medicine to make them comfortable. After your child goes home, you’ll need to keep the incision clean and dry until it heals. The surgery team will teach you how to care for the incision and will tell you if you need to limit your child’s activity for a while.

About two to three weeks after surgery, your child will need to see the surgeon for a follow-up visit. The surgeon will make sure the incision is healing and your child is recovering well.

Resources

Read more about what to expect when your child visits a clinic at Children's, has surgery here or needs to stay in the hospital. You can get practical details about topics like what to do and bring the day of surgery and who will be on your child's care team. You can also take a virtual tour of our surgery rooms and other parts of the hospital.

To learn more about this condition, you may want to visit our resource list.