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 Ask Dr. Jana
Newborn's Belly Button | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Jana,
Hello, I just had my first baby five weeks ago. My question pertains to her belly button, which is protruding from her stomach. It looks like a little ball. Is this normal and will it go down?— New Mom | | | ANSWER |
April 6, 2001 | | | Dear New Mom,
While I can't tell you for sure if your daughter's belly button is normal without actually examining her, I can describe to you the most common findings we see when it comes to newborn belly buttons.
The umbilical cord stump typically dries and falls off sometime during the first five weeks after birth. What remains is the belly button you'll have for the rest of your life--so what you see is typically what you get.
For some babies, the stump of the belly button that remains protrudes and appears to be a little ball of skin. These are what people commonly refer to as "outies." For other babies, there is essentially no extra skin but simply an indentation where the umbilical cord used to be, and they are said to have an "innie" belly button.
That said, some babies have what is called an umbilical hernia. This type of hernia is simply an opening between the muscles of the abdominal wall directly below the belly button that causes the belly button to protrude whenever a baby strains and causes an increase in pressure in her belly. Most commonly, it bulges when babies cry or strain to have a bowel movement. Most umbilical hernias are harmless and tend to close over time. On occasion, however, they are large enough that they need to be closed. And anytime the bulge of a hernia seems to be causing pain, becomes red, or can't be gently pushed back it is reason to seek medical attention.
In order to find out if your daughter's belly button is normal, I would suggest you be sure to discuss its appearance with your daughter's health care provider.— by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
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