MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Diastasis recti

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Diastasis recti

Diastasis recti, a normal condition in newborns, is a separation of the left and right side of the rectus abdominis muscle, which is the muscle covering the front surface of the abdomen. A diastasis recti is seen as a large ridge running down the midline of the abdomen from the bottom of the breastbone to the navel which appears whenever an infant strains or attempts to sit up.

Update Date: 12/27/2006

Updated by: Peter Chen, M.D., Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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