What are the symptoms of an umbilical hernia? Umbilical hernia is a relatively common problem in newborns and infants, mostly in premature babies, babies with colic and who cry a lot. When a baby cries or strains, the baby’s belly button bulges out, which may be an umbilical hernia, commonly known as a large belly button or an air belly button. Why do umbilical hernias occur in babies? The abdominal wall muscles of small babies are not yet developed, the umbilical ring is not yet completely closed, and the umbilicus is the weakest part of the entire abdominal wall. When the pressure in the baby’s abdominal cavity is increasing, the intestinal tube will protrude from the umbilical ring, so an umbilical hernia will easily form. Does it matter if my baby has an umbilical hernia? Most babies with umbilical hernia do not have obvious symptoms of discomfort, and umbilical hernia is a benign problem that will disappear naturally as the baby grows up and the abdominal wall muscles develop. However, if the umbilical hernia becomes larger and the diameter of the umbilical ring exceeds 2 cm, you should take your baby to the pediatric surgery department in time. How to take care of my baby with an umbilical hernia? When a baby has an umbilical hernia, care should be taken to minimize the chances of increasing abdominal pressure. For example: don’t let your baby cry and fuss endlessly; avoid your baby’s cold and cough, and treat chronic cough if it occurs; adjust your baby’s diet to avoid bloating or constipation. Special reminder: Many mothers are too nervous about their babies’ umbilical hernia, but in fact there is no need for any measures to stop or slow down umbilical hernia. Some parents use coins to make an umbilical hernia belt to compress the baby’s belly button to prevent protrusion, but this does not accelerate the healing effect.