This is one of the most popular myths about how to fix the umbilical hernia. But is it even a myth? Many people in the past tried to tape a coin over the belly button of a baby and prevent it from poking out.
Many people claim that this thing actually worked, and the baby’s hernia would disappear by the baby’s first year. When a belly button protrudes, placing a coin on it may assist in its reinsertion.
This is one of the ways to try to reshape the belly button and try to get rid of umbilical hernia. But is it safe though?
There is usually no problem with a retracted navel, but a protruding navel probably has a hernia. The abdominal muscles did not grow together and a hose was passed through them. This bulge increases when the baby cries or laughs or even when he tenses and relaxes when the baby calms down.
The pressure inside the baby’s abdomen separates the unfused muscles to the side, the intestines and abdominal tissue fill that space. To stop the bulging navel, many parents use various stories of their grandmothers. These folklore stories can sometimes be useful, but you should always consult a doctor or medical staff.
Parents usually apply a tape a coin to the baby’s navel to constantly put pressure on the hernia and put the intestines back in place. When the umbilical cord falls off, a small wound remains that should be treated in the same way as the umbilical cord.
The wound usually heals after a few days and all this is not painful for your baby. However, the coin can transmit germs and contaminate the navel wound. It does not help restore the navel and can even cause intestinal obstruction.
We recommend you do not try this experiment, because it can even cause more problems than already persist. Rather chose to visit a medical care staff and seek a professional opinion.
How do you tape your belly button?
At the end of the strip, tear the tape. Place over your first piece of tape and under the belly. Press firmly to adhere.
Place the tape up the center of the navel and all over that area and rub it gently with your hands to heat it up. This is not just limited to medical-grade adhesive but any type of strong adhesive will work.
It’s important to make sure that the width of the strip is appropriate. If it’s too narrow it won’t stay in place firmly enough while if it’s too wide then there might be a gap between your skin and the tape which will cause discomfort or irritation during wear.
To get good adhesion with most kinds of surgical adhesive, heat it up first by pressing gently on top of the tape with your hands to activate the glue beneath the release.
However, once again, we do not recommend this. Please visit a doctor and get professional help before you do anything all in order to help your little one.
Should I tape umbilical hernia?
You should not tape a coin over the belly button. Even though some people claim that it was helpful to tape a coin over the belly button, or the bulge, we recommend you not to try this experiment.
If you wonder why it’s because it will not help, on the contrary, it may even cause additional problems such as accumulating germs due to the tape and eventually causing the infection.
Therefore, the doctor should be consulted about this umbilical hernia because it is necessary to have it fixed.
If you are scared of a doctor because he/she may scold the newborn, think about your baby’s health and safety over yourself. Nobody will hold you accountable for the harm caused to the baby because it is not intentional, rather your baby can get worse while waiting for his/her appointment with a doctor if the problem is ignored.
It will be better if you go to the emergency room in order to solve your problem quickly, without any delay. Again, they should not postpone seeing a doctor regarding this matter even though it seems that nothing bad can happen to resolve this minor issue promptly!
Why do babies’ navels stick out?
The baby’s navel is sticking out because the part of the intestine bulges in the abdominal muscles. As a result, there is a soft bulge or swelling in the navel region that is usually seen when the baby is straining.
This is very common in premature babies, as well as the ones born with low birth weight. In some cases, this swelling will go away with time. In other cases, there may be a need to correct the condition with surgery.
Usually, this bulging is due to a hernia in which a small part of the intestine gets pushed through the muscles into the umbilicus area. A doctor should check whether or not it’s a true umbilical hernia or just an umbilical swelling as babies often have these sorts of swellings around their belly buttons ahead of their first birthdays.
If you are in doubt and you want to try to fix it on your own like tape a coin over the belly button, don’t do that. If the doctor determines that it is actually a hernia problem, he/she may recommend surgery to fix it if necessary and possible.
Summary
It’s not a desirable situation when you have to take your newborn to see a doctor. Many parents tend to fix the problem by themselves, which we don’t judge. However, sometimes this is not possible and even though you had the best intention, you can harm your little one.
For example, when the hernia is present, many people heard about a story where they should tape a coin over the belly button. This will not result in the way you wanted. Even so, it can end up with things that never crossed your mind, like making things worse.
It can even cause some infections and germs might appear which will just make things worse. So, don’t experiment with your child’s health. To avoid anything undesirable, just take your infants to see a doctor and get the proper care.
