Umbilical Infection (omphalitis)
Umbilical infections in older children are usually due to bacterial growth in a cavity from a left over fetal structure, most commonly a structure that was once attached to the bladder called the urachus.
Omphalitis in infants, however, usually is from poor cleaning of the area or an infection acquired from the hospital. Although unusual, the infection may progress quickly from mild redness of the belly button skin to a tissue-destroying infection of the entire abdomen skin and muscle within hours and must be treated aggressively when it is first suspected. Although less frequent now than in the past, omphalitis can cause clotting of the large vein that drains from the intestine to the liver (the portal vein).
Rarely, omphalitis is associated with catheters (plastic tubes) that are placed into the umbilical vein that are needed when a newborn is very sick. Although Staphylococcus aureus is the most common germ encountered in omphalitis, another bacterium called Clostridia may form an especially dangerous infection. Treatment must be aggressive and include intravenous antibiotics and removal of dead skin and muscle. All umbilical cord structures and sometimes the entire thickness of the abdominal wall must be removed.Back to Resources for Parents
Article and graphics adapted from O'Neill: Principles of Pediatric Surgery. © 2003, Elsevier.