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Umbilical Hernia: Should My Child Have Surgery?

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Umbilical Hernia: Should My Child Have Surgery?

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.

Umbilical Hernia: Should My Child Have Surgery?

Here's a record of your answers. You can use it to talk with your doctor or loved ones about your decision.

Get the facts

Your options

  • Schedule surgery to fix the hernia.
  • Wait and see if the hernia closes on its own.

Key points to remember

  • There is a good chance that your child's umbilical hernia will close on its own. Most of the time, a hernia that starts before 6 months of age will go away by 1 year of age.footnote 1
  • Your child may need surgery if the hernia is very large or if a hernia of any size has not gone away by age 5.
  • You may choose to have surgery for personal reasons. If the hernia looks odd or bothers your child, it can be fixed with surgery before age 5.
  • Umbilical hernias usually do not cause a health problem. Rare problems include part of the intestine getting trapped in the hernia sac.

FAQs

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Current as of: July 31, 2024

Author: Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff

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