My son's belly button looks like it could be dirty but when we try and clean it, he cries as if in pain and it doesn't come clean. It looks normal just looking at it but when you pull back a little skin, it appears to have some dirt in it. But it won't come clean and we are hurting him by just touching it. I have never heard of an infected belly button (he's 17 months old) but could it be?
My sister still gets an infected belly button and shes 40+! Try the peroxide and see what happens. Otherwise, call his doctor.
My daughter had the same type of thing a few weeks ago. I called the doc's office, and they told me to bring her in right away. Her Belly Button was red, painful to the touch, and oozing a little bit of clear pus (gross, but hopefully helpful!). They tested her to make sure her "outie" belly button had closed all the way when she was an infant, and also checked for a hernia and bowel obstruction. They swabbed the area and did a quick lab test. Results came back as a strep infection- usually caused by belly button piercings in teenagers, but she could have scraped herself on something. Gave me some antibotics and instructions to put bacatracin on at diaper changes. Cleared up in about 5 days. Good luck!
Hey C.!
WOW OUCH!!! Could be a herniated belly button. My husband had one when he was 2 and then had two hernias as well to follow two weeks later on both sides. However not being a doctor, can't really diagnose :-) I'd call your ped. on Monday and have it looked at.
quit trying to clean it and take him to the doctor. It very well could be infected.
I would pour peroxide in it first and then take a cotton ball and wipe it out. Then put some alcohol on a cotton swab and wipe everything out. Finish with some antibiotic ointment. I would do that every day and put the ointment on a few times a day. If it doesn't start clearing up in a few days I would bring him in.
Good luck,
J.
My son had what I believe you are talking about... brownish red, scab like stuck in the wrinkles of his belly button. I just recently got it all out. What we figured it was is from the umbilical cord (your supposed to clean it with alcohol or peroxide) and we just stopped doing that and it ended up to be just a scab that couldn't go away because it was stuck in a wrinkly belly button. While he would sleep I would rub baby oil on his belly to soften the scabbing then with a tweezers I would kind of scrape it until I got a piece off, once I got that piece off I would use a wipe to clean off his belly then pour a little peroxide on his belly button.
I would say before you try that to talk to his Ped. to make sure it's nothing else.
Hope this helps!
Try to lay him on the floor on his back and poor peroxide in his belly button after it fizzles for a bit use a cottonball or something and wipe it out, if there is anything pussy, or scabby looking I'd take him in.
Does he have any type of fever? I would get him into the doctor as soon as possible - I know there can be complications even at this age - two of my girls have herniated belly buttons - but the main thing is he is clearly uncomfortable and you don't want that. good luck!
Yes, they can get infected. I would say take him to the doctor if you are concerned.
We had that with our oldest when she was about a year and a half also. Ours turned out to be a yeast infection in her belly button. We were given a cream and had to " pour the bubbles" in it and "get out a cloud" to get the bubbles out. They figured it was from not getting all of the water out and her digging in it. Just thought I would tell you.
My daughter digs in her belly button sometimes and makes it red and sore. Wash it out good in the bath with mild soap. Put a little triple antibiotic cream i(Neosporin) in there with a q-tip and cover with a bandaid and hopefully hel'll let it heal. This should help.
