Where There Is No Doctor 2011 317
Umbilical Hernia (Belly Button that Sticks Out)
A belly button that sticks
out like this is no
problem. No medicine
or treatment is needed.
Tying a tight cloth or
‘belly band’ around the
belly will not help.
Even a big umbilical
hernia like this one is not
dangerous and will often
go away by itself. If is is
still there after age 5, an
operation may be needed.
Get medical advice.
A ‘Swollen Testicle’ (Hydrocele or Hernia)
If a baby’s scrotum, or bag that holds his testicles, is
swollen on one side, this is usually because it is filled with
liquid (a hydrocele) or because a loop of gut has slipped
into it (a hernia).
To find out which is the cause, shine a light through
the swelling.
If light shines through easily,
it is probably a hydrocele.
If light does not shine through,
and if the swelling gets bigger
when the baby coughs or cries,
it is a hernia.
Sometimes the hernia
causes a swelling here
in either a boy
or a girl.
A hydrocele usually goes away
in time, without treatment. If
it lasts more than a year, get
medical advice.
A hernia needs surgery
(see p. 177).
You can tell this from a
swollen lymph node
(p. 88) because the
hernia swells when the
baby cries or is held
upright and disappears
when he lies quietly.