My newborn has an umbilical hernia the size of your thumb and forefinger pinched together and it gets bigger with pressure. I showed it to the dr but she says it will go away in couple years. I am worried about having to do surgery or if it will go away. Has anyone else had a hernia that big in their newborn and has it gone away and how long did it take.
Thank you moms for your encouragement and advice. This medium is so cool. I just happen to click on this non chalantly one day and thought it was a scam only to find out this has been a great place to bounce ideas from other moms and to boost confidence in raising our kids, knowing that each of us did not have an instruction book with our child. I appreciate knowing others have the same situation and what happened. Drs. tell us one thing but nothing like a doctor who is also a mom.
My daughter had the same thing when she was a newborn and it did go away after a couple of years. She is now 7 years old and has not had any problems.
My daughter's eldest child had the same problem. We simply taped a 50 cent coin over it. That sounds like an old folk remedy, but that's what her pediatrician said to do and it worked! I don't know if it would have resolved on it's own or not, but I do know that she's 13 years old now and her belly button is perfect!
My now four year old had one when he was a newborn. It was pretty big. I was nervous about the same thing. It totally went away on its own. I had totally forgot about it until I read this post. It was no big deal and caused him no pain. I think he was about a year when it went away. I forget now. Hopefully your baby's will be no big deal either. Best of luck
S.
My niece had the same thing (and from the sounds of it about the same size). The doctor told us it would go away but we too had the same fears you are experiencing...but she is now almost four and it is gone - we didn't have to put her through any surgery and didn't do any home remedies - we just let nature take its coarse. It took about 1 1/2 years to go completely down but through that time it never caused her any discomfort.
When my little brother was an infant he had one and I don't remember it being as big as that but I do remember he had surgery for it. This was 1981. I'm not sure what they do now or whether your doc is the norm.
Its not uncommon, it looks scary though. my daughters would get to the size of a golf ball, my very, very old school granny told me to wait until she was sleeping and place a silver dollar over it with some adhesive tape. remove with each tub bath and recover. The reason she wanted me to wait until she was sleeping was because she would be relaxed and it would be too. I did this for a month and it did shrink in size. But it went away completely by the time she was a year old and she has a small outie type of belly button. I thought the silver dollar worked because when she cryed it did not seem as strained and was not compelled to blow up as large after I did the silver dollar thing. Just a story to share, I don't know if any other mothers did this or had it reccomended, but, Don't worry, they resolve on their own eventually, and it is not a cause for too much worry unless it gets red, and feels warm to touch or secretes a fluid.
Hi Pat,
My daughter is 26 months and she had an umbilical hernia too. I'd say it was around ping-pong ball or golf-ball sized. It gets larger with pressure because what a hernia is essentially is a space where the muscle (in this case the umbilicus) didn't completely close, when if you push or if your little boy is screaming, it pushes some of the intestinal tissue inside that space. Our pediatrician ensured us that it causes no damage to the tissues and no discomfort for the child, that unless it gets really red and irritated-looking or seems to hurt the baby (which never happened), it's basically just weird-looking and will go away within the first 2-3 years. Our doctor said the only time he's recommended surgery (which, he said, is uncomplicated and minor) was when a 9-month-old had one that was, according to him, the size of a grapefruit (sounds crazy!), and even then that was only for cosmetic reasons. Naomi's (my daughter) looked pretty weird for around maybe 6 months, gradually started to diminish and has been totally gone for at least 6 months. So basically, don't worry!
Good luck,
S.
i know that i had one when i was a baby that went away on its own by the time i was 3 (i'm 30 now). i don't think they are that atypical. good luck-;)H.(:
Not that big, but my son had one and they do shrink. He is three now. They are not harmful in any way and the surgery would be for aesthetic reasons only.Try not to worry, he is fine. My doctor says they wont even consider surgery until the child is at least five, as most disappear by that age.
my nieces son had one and his went away now he just has a outty belyy button. so maybe the doctor is right. she did however tape a half dollar or a quarter over his for a couple weeks--that is an aold wise tale i am not sure that helped his or not.
