Best practices in the specialty have matured. The vast majority of these hernias close on their own as the child grows. It’s recommended that surgeons wait until a kid turns six or seven. On top of that, new research has found that general anesthesia in young kids can be associated with learning disabilities. Bottom line: there are only rare cases when a surgeon needs to close an umbilical type hernia in a child under age four. (Inguinal hernias are a different matter.)
