13/04/2024
HAVE YOU SEEN THIS BEFORE ?? DO YOU KNOW WHY IT APPEARS?
UMBLICAL HERNIA IN CHILDREN
During pregnancy, the umbilical cord passes through an opening in the baby's abdomen (tummy)muscleAfter birth, the umbilical cord is no longer necessary, so the opening in the abdominal muscles closes as the baby matures. Sometimes, these muscles do not seal completely, leaving a small hole or gap.
This opening allows some of the tissue or organs from inside the abdomen, like fat or part of the intestines, to pass through and create a bulge under the skin around the belly button. It gradually improves as the child grows and the muscles get stronger.
Umbilical hernias in children are quite common and usually don't cause any pain or other symptoms. It bulges our when the child cries, coughs, or any form of straining.
Most of the time, the hernias close on their own by the time the child is around 1-4 years old as the muscles around that area get stronger. But if the hernia persists beyond this age or becomes larger, causes pain, or is associated with other symptoms, like vomiting , then treatment is required.
In severe cases, it can cause intestinal obstruction and the death of the intestine tissue that formed the hernia. This requires emergency surgery.
Some children playfully squeeze the hernia to show their playmates. Doing this can lead
to complications
Photo credit: medical news today.