Your child is now ready to go home after surgery to repair an umbilical hernia. The surgeon moved the intestine back into place and closed the hole or weak spot in the muscle with stitches. Follow these instructions to help your child heal quickly and avoid problems.

Pain Medicine

Your child may have mild pain for a few days:

• If your surgeon prescribed pain medicine, give it as directed. Don't give your child acetaminophen (such as Tylenol® or a store brand) along with prescription pain medicines without talking to your surgeon or pharmacist first.
• If your surgeon didn't prescribe a pain medicine, give one of these medicines exactly as directed:
  • acetaminophen (such as Tylenol® or a store brand)
  OR
  • ibuprofen (such as Advil®, Motrin®, or a store brand). Do not give ibuprofen to babies under 6 months old.

Diet

• Your child can eat regular food but may not be hungry at first. Start by giving clear liquids like broth, gelatin, and watered-down juice. When your child is taking clear liquids well, slowly start giving other foods.
• After surgery, some kids get constipated (have trouble pooping). Offer plenty of liquids (such as water and prune, pear, and apple juice), plus high-fiber fruits and vegetables (such as pears, strawberries, and sweet potatoes). Avoid cheese, bananas, and white rice.

Incision Care

• Remove the surgical dressing (bandage) as directed by the surgeon.
• Allow tape strips or medical glue to fall off on their own. This usually takes 7 to 10 days.
• Keep the wound clean.
• A small amount of pink or bloody drainage is OK. But if the bandage is soaked with blood, apply pressure and call the surgeon.
• Watch for signs of infection such as redness, increased swelling, or yellow or green pus.
• Don't let your child take a bath, shower, or swim until the surgeon says it's OK. Until then, give your child a sponge bath.
• Dress your child in loose-fitting, soft clothes until the area is healed.

Activities

• Slowly increase your child's activity level. Start with calm activities (taking walks, reading, playing board games).
• Your child can go back to school when feeling well, usually within a few days. Your child should not carry schoolbooks or a heavy bag to school until your surgeon says it's OK.
• Your child should not climb, play sports, or lift objects heavier than 10 pounds (about the weight of a gallon of milk) until your surgeon says it's OK.

Have a follow-up care visit with your surgeon as recommended.

Your child:

• has a fever. Follow your surgeon's instructions about what temperature to call for. 
• has pain that gets worse
• has pain that doesn't get better after a few days
• has a swollen belly
• has redness, bleeding, swelling, or drainage from the area of the surgery
• throws up
• has a cough or fast breathing
• is not eating normally 5–7 days after surgery
• doesn't poop in 2–3 days after surgery
• has bleeding from the wound that doesn't stop after holding pressure on it for 5–10 minutes

Your child:

• throws up (vomits) more than once or twice
• has green or bloody vomit
• is hard to wake up

Do the stitches need to be removed? The stitches inside the body will dissolve on their own. There are small tape bandages (or glue) over the wound. They will fall off on their own in a few days.

Will my child have a scar? There will be a small scar under the belly button. It will become softer and fade over the next year. Use sunscreen or clothing to protect it from the sun.

Will the hernia come back? Umbilical hernias almost never come back.