When a baby’s stomach muscles fail to fully close over the hole through which his or her umbilical cord delivered nutrition while in the womb, this area will form a weak spot called an umbilical hernia. In most cases, this condition will resolve itself shortly after birth, but about 10 percent of the time, it will need to be surgically repaired by the time the child is about four years old. While rare, the condition can also occur in adults who have a weak spot in their abdominal wall next to their belly button due to previous surgery, a pregnancy that involved multiple births and other reasons. Babies at highest risk for an umbilical hernia include those who are born prematurely, weigh less than average at birth and/or are African American. Surgery to repair an umbilical hernia is generally recommended when the hernia is more than a half-inch across, causes pain or shows signs of a complication called strangulation.
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