If my son an a hernea in the belly button area what doctor should he see?

Regular checkup.: Umbilical (belly button) hernias are very common in babies, and most of the time they resolve on their own before 4 years old. Using tape, belly bands, or quarters on them not only doesn't help the hernia to go away, but some studies reported that those 'family remedies' might prevent it from healing! if your child is 4 or older, a pediatric surgeon can do a simple surgery to fix it.

A pediatric Surgeon: He will need a small operation to close the defect in the muscle. It is done under anesthesia and is a same day procedure.

Repair at age 3: If your son is older than 3 years, it should be repaired.

Pediatric surgeon: Most umbilical hernias close by age two . By that time most children are walking and their antigravity muscles are developed, ie rectus muscles. If it is still present after age two or he has an "outie" he should be evaluated. A child should be evaluated at any age if the hernia is symptomatic and causes pain.

Pediatric surgeon: Umbilical hernias are very common and usually don't cause problems in young children. Many will resolve with age. For this reason, most surgeons will wait until 4 years of age to repair these. If the child is symptomatic (usually pain at the site or evidence of incarceration), repair should be undertaken at an earlier age.

Pedi urologist +surg: Both pediatric urologists and pediatric surgeons have expertise in repairing umbilical hernias. However the majority of these hernias close on their own, by age 2-3 years for caucasian kids and by age 4-5 for african + african-american kids. Repair sooner if hernia enlarges or is symptomatic. Rare incarcerated hernias need emergent care, these are hard and tender and contain bowel or omentum.

Pediatric surgeon: Many umbilical hernias spontaneously heal over the first few years of life. We recommend surgical repair when they dont close spontaneously or get larger with observation.