Hernias are very common affections and millions of people suffer from them. They appear when a muscular wall is weakened and the organ that is near that muscular wall protrudes through a tear that it creates in it because of the pressure it puts on the muscular fiber.

Both young babies and elder people can suffer from hernia, and it has several different forms. One of these forms is umbilical hernia. Umbilical hernia is the least dangerous type of hernia and it is encountered at new born babies because of a problem with the umbilical cord. The umbilical cord is a strong tube that has the role of transporting vital substances from the mother to the child while he is still inside her. This tube enters the child's body through the belly button, a small hole in the abdomen designed exactly for this purpose. After the child's birth the doctors remove the umbilical cord and the belly button hole usually closes. In some cases, it doesn't close, and the tissue that is underneath it protrudes through it creating a small bulge or lump. This lump gets bigger if the child is coughing or sneezing. It is usually as big as a cherry or strawberry.

The little bulge can be pushed back when the baby is relaxed. Some parents think that if they repeatedly push the lump back with a coin it will disappear in time. This fact has not been proven to be effective by any scientifical studies, so doctors do not recommend it. The only symptom of umbilical hernia is the swollen 'cherry' that appears, it does not cause any pain and it is not contagious.

The good news is that in most cases it disappears during the first year of life. The bulge pushes itself back and the belly button closes. However, in a few rare cases it does not heal itself and it needs surgery. This happens if the belly button hole's diameter is bigger than 2 centimeters after the child reached one year old. The surgery is a very simple procedure that many doctors can easily do and that can't cause any complications.

So, umbilical hernia is not a severe disease at all, and you have nothing to worry about if your child has one. All you need to do is wait for it to heal itself, and consult a doctor for his advice from time to time.