Will an infant's umbilical hernia heal by itself?

Written by Zhang Xian Hua

Pediatrics

Updated on March 11, 2025

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Infant umbilical hernia is a congenital disease, caused by a weak abdominal wall around the navel, leading to a protrusion at the navel. However, over 80% of infant umbilical hernias will, before the age of two, gradually heal as the hernial ring narrows and closes due to growth in age and physical development, achieving self-healing. Only a small portion require surgery. If an infant still has a noticeable umbilical hernia at the age of two, or if the hernial ring diameter is greater than 2 cm, then surgery is necessary.

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Written by Zeng Hai Jiang

Pediatrics

50sec

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Is there no belly button after umbilical hernia surgery?

Umbilical hernia refers to a protrusion formed by abdominal cavity contents through the umbilical ring, commonly seen in infants and young children. Most umbilical hernias can heal on their own within the first year as the umbilical fascial ring gradually contracts. Therefore, non-surgical treatment is mostly adopted to promote healing. However, if the child is over two years old and the diameter of the umbilical hernia exceeds 1.5 centimeters, surgical treatment is recommended. After umbilical hernia surgery, the belly button is still preserved. The surgery generally involves making a small incision at the lower edge of the navel, freeing the hernial sac, repositioning the hernial contents, and after partially excising the hernial sac at the umbilical ring, suturing is performed.

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Written by Zeng Hai Jiang

Pediatrics

48sec

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What should be paid attention to after umbilical hernia surgery?

Umbilical hernia refers to the protrusion of abdominal contents through the umbilical ring. Mostly seen in infants and young children, a majority of umbilical hernias can gradually heal through the contraction of the umbilical fascial ring. Therefore, before the age of two, except in cases of incarcerated hernias, most are treated non-surgically to promote healing. If the child is over two years old and the diameter of the hernia exceeds 1.5 cm, surgical treatment is adopted. After surgery, it is necessary to persist with abdominal muscle exercises to increase the child's resistance, prevent an increase in intra-abdominal pressure, reduce the recurrence of infantile umbilical hernias, and in terms of diet, it is advisable to avoid foods that might cause constipation.

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Written by Zhang Xian Hua

Pediatrics

52sec

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How many months can an infant umbilical hernia heal?

Umbilical hernia in infants is caused by congenital development of the umbilical area and weak abdominal muscles, leading to protrusion of the umbilicus. This protrusion is more likely to occur when the child cries intensely, has digestive issues, or experiences increased pressure in the gastrointestinal tract. The majority of umbilical hernias heal on their own as the child ages; small hernial rings may heal within a few months, and about 80% of slightly larger hernias heal by the age of two. However, a small number of children with umbilical hernias, especially those with a hernial ring diameter greater than 2 cm, usually cannot heal on their own. Generally, if a noticeable umbilical hernia still exists after the age of two, surgical treatment may be necessary, though no special treatment is typically needed before that.

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Written by Zhang Peng

General Surgery

1min

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Can an umbilical hernia be massaged back into the abdominal cavity?

Umbilical hernias can be massaged back into the abdominal cavity, but if the hernia suddenly becomes hard, or increases in size significantly and cannot be reduced promptly, careful observation is needed to determine if incarceration has occurred. If incarceration persists for too long, it might lead to intestinal necrosis or rupture. Generally, umbilical hernias can self-heal within six months through conservative treatment. If the diameter of the umbilical ring still exceeds 1.5 centimeters after the age of two, it is advised to opt for surgical treatment. For patients over five years old, surgery is recommended under any circumstances. In conservative treatment of umbilical hernias, the most common method involves using an object larger than the umbilical ring, such as a coin or cardboard, wrapped and fixed to the umbilical area, then secured with adhesive tape to prevent movement. Generally, this treatment method is quite effective.

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Written by Ren Zheng Xin

Gastroenterology

37sec

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What should I do about an umbilical hernia?

Umbilical hernia is a type of hernia, mainly caused by poor development of the navel area and a relatively weak abdominal wall at the navel. It occurs when the intestines protrude through the belly button towards the surface of the body due to increased intra-abdominal pressure. The main treatments are as follows: if the infant or toddler is under two years old and the hernia is relatively small, it can be observed conservatively or it might close on its own. If the child is older than two years and the hernia is larger, surgical repair may be necessary. For adults with an umbilical hernia, surgical repair is generally the best treatment method.