Back to Health A to Z. A hernia occurs when an internal part of the body pushes through a weakness in the muscle or surrounding tissue wall. Your muscles are usually strong and tight enough to keep your organs and intestines in place, but a hernia can develop if there are any weak spots. It may get bigger when laughing, coughing, crying or going to the toilet and may shrink when relaxing or lying down. In many cases, the umbilical hernia goes back in and the muscles reseal before the child's first birthday. Umbilical hernias can also develop in adults.
An umbilical hernia creates a soft swelling or bulge near the navel. It occurs when part of the intestine protrudes through the umbilical opening in the abdominal muscles. Umbilical hernias in children are usually painless. An umbilical hernia occurs when part of your intestine bulges through the opening in your abdominal muscles near your bellybutton navel. Umbilical hernias are common and typically harmless.
Jump to content. Top of the page Decision Point. You may want to have a say in this decision, or you may simply want to follow your doctor's recommendation. Either way, this information will help you understand what your choices are so that you can talk to your doctor about them. An umbilical hernia is a bulge near the belly button, or navel.
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