Many babies have a small protrusion of the navel. Sometimes it is a small hernia into which abdominal contents may pass because the muscles of the abdominal wall are not yet very strong. More often there is no hernia, but only a small collar of skin which extends out for one-quarter to one-half of an inch. Even when an actual hernia is present, it is likely to close during the first three years of life.

Unless the hernia (protrusion) is very large, we do not feel that treatment is necessary. Some people recommend “taping” of the hernia or “bellybands.” We do not recommend them and feel that they are potentially quite hazardous.

Care of the navel prior to loss of the umbilical cord was discussed in a previous section.

Most babies, whether breast fed or bottle fed, swallow air. The air that is swallowed does not cause discomfort, although it could possibly be enough to fill the stomach and prevent the baby from drinking as much as he needs for complete satisfaction. It is worthwhile to try burping him once or twice during a feeding. If he burps readily, he may then wish to eat more. If he does not burp readily, he has not swallowed a significant amount of air and continued efforts to make him burp are not necessary.

Your baby is very likely to sneeze from time to time. This usually does not mean that he/she is getting a cold. He/she may sneeze only to clear his/her nose of tiny particles of fuzz, which often lodge there. These particles frequently come from the new blankets or flannel clothes.

One way to tell whether your baby is sneezing because he has a cold or because of fuzz or dust is to notice the amount of nasal discharge produced. If he has a cold, there is usually a large amount nasal discharge produced, while in the healthy child the nose will be dry and the only mucus that you will see will be expelled with the sneeze. In addition, an infant with a cold usually will have difficulty in eating and will have other signs of illness.