Should the umbilical hernia belt be worn for 24 hours?

Written by Zeng Hai Jiang
Pediatrics
Updated on April 11, 2025
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Umbilical hernia refers to the protrusion formed by the contents of the abdominal cavity through the umbilical ring, commonly seen in infants and young children. When the affected child cries, coughs, or struggles, the increase in abdominal pressure can easily lead to an umbilical hernia. The purpose of an umbilical hernia belt is to apply a certain amount of pressure around the navel area to prevent the occurrence of an umbilical hernia. In principle, the umbilical hernia belt should be worn 24 hours a day, except during special times such as bathing. When using the umbilical hernia belt, it is also important to adjust the appropriate tightness to avoid being too tight, which affects the child's comfort, or too loose, which fails to compress the hernial ring effectively. Additionally, attention must be paid to avoiding the incarceration of the hernia contents.

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Written by Zhang Xian Hua
Pediatrics
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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 Xian Hua
Pediatrics
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What are good remedies for infant umbilical hernia?

Umbilical hernia in infants is caused by congenital underdevelopment of the abdominal muscles, forming a bulge beneath the skin due to abdominal distension protruding from the umbilicus. In fact, it usually does not require special treatment. Most umbilical hernias will gradually narrow and shrink within the first year after birth as the infant's nutrition and physique improve and the abdominal muscles develop, typically leading to natural closure with a very good prognosis. In daily care, it is important to prevent the child from crying loudly, especially when the child has gastrointestinal diseases and increased intestinal gas, which should be actively treated to minimize the herniation and to reduce it back when it does protrude. With such care, the chances of natural healing increase. However, if the child is over four years old and the hernia sac is still relatively large, surgical repair might be necessary.

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Written by Zeng Hai Jiang
Pediatrics
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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 Zhang Xian Hua
Pediatrics
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The difference between infant umbilical hernia and hernia

Infant umbilical hernia is a type of hernia, which differs from general hernias as the latter encompasses a broader category including umbilical hernia, direct inguinal hernia, indirect inguinal hernia, etc. Infant umbilical hernia is caused by a congenital weakness in the abdominal wall at the navel, leading to a protrusion. Similarly, hernias are often the result of insufficient developmental thickness of the abdominal wall. Thus, when intra-abdominal pressure increases, contents such as the intestine can protrude through the hernia sac, forming a hernia. Regardless of the type, whether umbilical or otherwise, it is essential to visit a pediatric surgical department in a hospital for examination and analysis. Most umbilical hernias close as the child grows and the hernial ring narrows, usually by the age of two, and often do not require special treatment. However, surgical treatment may be necessary for a small portion of cases where the diameter of the hernial ring is larger than two centimeters or has not closed after the age of two. For hernias in other locations, if incarceration occurs, emergency surgery is needed, and surgery may still be required if the condition does not resolve spontaneously.

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Written by Zhang Peng
General Surgery
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Nursing methods for umbilical hernia

Care methods for umbilical hernia, we need to pay attention to the following points. If during a child's intense crying or activity, the contents of the umbilical hernia protrusion are relatively large, it is important to promptly soothe the patient to avoid incarceration. Because if the incarceration lasts too long, it can lead to necrosis or even rupture of the intestine, potentially endangering the child's life and requiring emergency surgical treatment. The general conservative treatment method for umbilical hernia is to select a coin or flat plate larger than the diameter of the umbilical ring, wrap it around to press against the umbilical ring, and then secure it with adhesive tape to prevent movement. Generally, most children can self-heal within six months. If the umbilical hernia does not heal by itself after two years and the diameter of the umbilical ring is greater than 1.5 cm, surgery is recommended. In any case, if the patient is older than five years and has not healed in a timely manner, it is advisable to proactively opt for surgery as soon as possible.