What is the reason for the newborn's belly button to protrude?

If a newborn has a protruding belly button, you should pay attention to whether it is what we call umbilical hernia. In fact, this is a common symptom. It can be effectively improved as the newborn continues to grow. However, you should pay attention to proper care to avoid the belly button of the newborn being infected by some bacteria.

1. This condition is medically called umbilical hernia, which is a common congenital developmental defect in newborns with a good prognosis.

Umbilical hernia mostly occurs in newborns, and a few babies still have it in their early childhood. An umbilical hernia is caused when the belly button does not close properly, causing part of the intestine to bulge out from the baby's belly button. Generally speaking, premature babies are more likely to develop umbilical hernias than other full-term babies due to their weaker physical development functions.

2. What to do if your baby has a protruding belly button? Symptoms and care

1. If the baby's navel is not closed well, when the baby cries, coughs or has diarrhea, the nearby intestines will be squeezed out of the abdominal wall, forming a round bag, which is an umbilical hernia.

2. The harder the baby cries, the higher the abdominal pressure will be, and the bigger and more obvious the umbilical hernia will become.

3. The bag caused by umbilical hernia feels very soft. Generally speaking, it can be reset after pressing. However, when the umbilical hernia is stuck in the navel for a long time, it may become incarcerated and cannot be pushed back manually. Such situations require emergency medical attention. Because the intestinal wall is under pressure and blood circulation is poor, there is a risk of intestinal ischemia and necrosis.

4. If the bulge of the baby's umbilical hernia is less than 5 cm, parents do not need to worry too much. Umbilical hernia can heal naturally as the baby grows older and the abdominal wall muscles strengthen, and there will be no adverse effects afterwards. About 80% of babies will recover before 1 year old, and 90% of babies will recover before 2 years old.

5. However, if the baby still has umbilical hernia after 2 years old, the mother should pay special attention and consult a doctor to choose a treatment method.