ABUJA – Dr Kunle Otuneye, a Paediatrician with the National Hospital Abuja, on Thursday advised mothers to always consult a doctor to assess the dangers associated with protruding navel in children.
Otuneye told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the endangered protruding navel could be identified as umbilical hernia when diagnosed.
An umbilical hernia is the protrusion of abdominal contents through the abdominal wall at the umbilicus.
According to him, an infant with an abdominal hernia has a soft bulge of tissue around the navel that may protrude when the baby cries, coughs or strains.
“Our worry about umbilical hernia is because of the hole in the navel, the intestine can go into it and get arrested in such a way that it could be locked up, when this occurs, it causes intestinal obstruction.
“The smaller the hole in the navel, the more chances of the intestine getting incarcerated which may necessitate surgery,” Otuneye said
He said if an umbilical hernia was still large after a few years and showing no decrease, surgical repair is sometimes recommended.
Otuneye said many have the wrong perception that protruding navel was as a result of the nurses not cutting the umbilical cord during delivery.
“The causes of umbilical hernia could be congenital meaning the child was born with. It is due to defects on the complete covering part of the abdomen.
“Sometimes umbilical hernia can be hereditary and may not be necessarily harmful,’’ he said.
Otuneye said there could be a repair of umbilical hernia for cosmetic reasons.(NAN)
