Bones & Joints
Umbilical Hernia
A protrusion through the navel opening caused by weakness in the abdominal wall — often in newborns, and preventable in part by adequate maternal zinc and vitamin A during pregnancy.
Also known as: navel hernia, omphalocele, belly button hernia
📝 At a glance
Likely root causes: A weakness or incomplete closure of the abdominal wall at the navel (hernial ring) — present from birth.; Risk is increased when the mother did not receive adequate vitamin A and/or zinc during pregnancy.; In adults, raised pressure inside the belly from obesity, pregnancy, or heavy lifting.
First thing to try: If the hernial ring is larger than a fingertip in diameter: surgery is needed.
See a doctor if: See a doctor if symptoms are severe, persistent, or worsening, or if you are unsure — natural supports are meant to complement, not replace, professional care.
🔎 Start with the cause
Lasting relief rarely comes from covering a symptom. First find what is feeding the problem, change what you can, and then help the body do what it was designed to do — heal.
Likely root causes
- A weakness or incomplete closure of the abdominal wall at the navel (hernial ring) — present from birth.
- Risk is increased when the mother did not receive adequate vitamin A and/or zinc during pregnancy.
- In adults, raised pressure inside the belly from obesity, pregnancy, or heavy lifting
- Multiple pregnancies or abdominal surgery, which can weaken the muscle wall over time
Change what you can
- If the hernial ring is larger than a fingertip in diameter: surgery is needed.
- If it is approximately fingertip-sized or smaller: place a golf-ball-sized wad of virgin wool on the hernia and tape it firmly flat.
- Three times daily, remove the wool, gently push the fat back into the belly cavity with a finger, then rub the hernial ring in a rotary fashion for several minutes to irritate and stimulate closure.
- Repeat consistently.
- Over several weeks to months, the defect will typically fill in and heal completely without surgery.
- Prevention: ensure adequate zinc and vitamin A intake during pregnancy.
🌿 Then assist nature: remedies & protocols
With the cause being addressed, these are the actual things people do for this — ranked by the community. Vote ▲ on what helped you and ▼ on what didn't, and open How to do it for the steps. Each shows two quick signals: Evidence (how much science backs it) and Gentleness (how safe and in keeping with whole, natural health).
★ Start here — our first-line pick, pinned for safety
Most umbilical hernias in babies are harmless and close on their own; this patient, watchful approach alongside pediatric checkups is the safest first path.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: The abdominal wall opening that infants are born with typically continues to close naturally as the child grows over the first few years of life.
- Have your baby's umbilical hernia checked and measured by their pediatrician.
- Avoid pressing on, taping over, or placing objects on the hernia; this does not speed closure and can cause skin irritation.
- Watch for any changes in size, color, or tenderness.
- Follow up with the pediatrician at well-child visits to track progress.
Ongoing observation over months to a few years · Check at each pediatric visit
Caution: Do not tape a coin or other object over the hernia; this is an old folk remedy that does not help closure and can trap dirt and germs against the skin, causing infection. Hernias that are unusually large, painful, or don't shrink by early childhood need medical evaluation for possible surgical repair.
When to get help: Seek emergency care right away if the bulge becomes hard, very tender, discolored, or if your baby vomits, seems to be in pain, or the bulge cannot be gently pushed back in, as this can signal a trapped (incarcerated) hernia.
Source: Standard pediatric guidance
Comments & experiences ▾
Also helps — ranked by the community (vote to reorder)
This supportive habit reduces strain on the area; it does not close an existing hernia and is not a substitute for medical evaluation if the hernia is enlarging or painful.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Reducing repeated abdominal pressure, such as from heavy lifting or straining, lowers the ongoing strain on the weak spot in the abdominal wall.
- Avoid heavy lifting or straining that noticeably bulges or strains the belly button area.
- Use proper lifting technique, bending at the knees rather than the waist, for any necessary lifting.
- Manage chronic coughing or constipation with your doctor's help, since repeated straining can worsen a hernia.
- Maintain a healthy weight, since extra abdominal pressure can contribute to hernias in older children and adults.
Ongoing · Daily habit
Caution: This does not treat or shrink an existing hernia; hernias that are enlarging, painful, or persistent need medical evaluation for possible repair. Do not attempt to forcefully push on a tender or firm bulge; this could indicate a trapped hernia needing emergency care.
When to get help: Seek emergency care if the bulge becomes hard, tender, discolored, or cannot be gently reduced, or if there is vomiting or severe abdominal pain, which can indicate a strangulated hernia.
Source: Standard general-health guidance
Comments & experiences ▾
How the numbers work: a weighted voting system — trusted published sources cast endorsement votes for each protocol, and your ▲/▼ adds to them. Not medical advice.
🩺 When to see a doctor
- See a doctor if symptoms are severe, persistent, or worsening, or if you are unsure — natural supports are meant to complement, not replace, professional care.
🌿 The seven pathways to health
Seven pathways for your umbilical hernia — tap the circle to check one off (saved on your device), or ask Remy for help.
“Disease is an effort of nature to free the system from conditions that result from a violation of the laws of health... In case of sickness 1cause should be ascertained, 2go to work intelligently to remove the disease. 3Unhealthful conditions should be changed, 4wrong habits corrected. 5Then nature is to be assisted in her effort 6to expel impurities and 7to re-establish right conditions in the system.”
🌿 Overview
An umbilical hernia occurs when abdominal contents protrude through a weakness (hernial ring) in the abdominal wall at the navel. It is common in newborns. A small defect (fingertip-sized or smaller) can often be corrected without surgery using a wool ball technique. A larger defect requires surgical repair.
An umbilical hernia is a soft bulge at or near the navel, where part of the bowel or fatty tissue pushes through a weak spot in the abdominal wall. It is very common in babies, where the muscle opening that let the umbilical cord through has not yet fully closed, and it also occurs in adults from raised abdominal pressure (such as with obesity, pregnancy, or heavy lifting).
In babies, most umbilical hernias are painless and close on their own as the muscles strengthen, usually within the first few years, so they are typically just watched. In adults they do not resolve on their own and may need surgical repair if they grow or cause symptoms. The important caution for any hernia is the rare but serious complication of strangulation: a hernia that becomes firm, painful, red, or cannot be pushed back, especially with vomiting, is an emergency needing immediate care.
Common signs
- A grape- to basketball-sized skin sac protruding at the belly button.
- May be reducible (pushed back in with gentle pressure) or not.
- The bulge often becomes more visible when crying, coughing, or straining
- Usually painless in babies, though a stuck or tender bulge is not
🍃 Supporting foods & habits
The gentle, everyday foods and supports that help in the background — secondary to the active remedies above. Vote on what helped you.
How the numbers work: this is a weighted voting system — every published book or article recommending a remedy counts as an endorsement vote, and your ▲/▼ counts too. Not medical advice. *Ties are broken by our editor score (sources, safety, simplicity, cost, lifestyle fit, eight-laws alignment).
🍽️ Eating to help
Food is one of the gentlest medicines — small, steady changes help most.
For the pregnant mother: adequate zinc (found in pumpkin seeds, whole grains, legumes) and vitamin A (from carrots, sweet potatoes, dark leafy greens) are essential for fetal abdominal wall development.
⚖️ Good to know
- If the hernia becomes incarcerated (irreducible, contents stuck) or strangulated (blood supply cut off — causing severe pain, tenderness, and vomiting), this is a surgical emergency.
- Do not attempt to forcefully push a tender, non-reducible hernia back in.
⚕️ What a doctor may offerConventional treatments for this condition — for your information.Show ▾
RemedyRank's heart is natural healing — and honest information. Here is what conventional medical care commonly involves for this condition, listed to inform, never to promote. Decisions about treatment belong with you and your own physician.
Umbilical hernias often resolve in infants; adults' usually need surgical repair.
Commonly offered
- Watchful waiting in infants (most close by age 3–4)–
- Surgical repair for adults or large/symptomatic hernias–
- Prompt surgery if it becomes stuck–
- Avoiding heavy straining–
Worth knowing
- A painful, firm, non-reducible bulge with vomiting is an emergency (strangulation).
- Don't tape coins/bands over a baby's hernia — it doesn't help.
- Adult hernias usually won't resolve on their own.
👍/👎 shares whether a treatment helped you — community experience, not medical advice. For full professional details, see the sources under “Learn more” below.
📚 Learn more
Sources for further reading. These open in a new tab.
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