Pay attention to the strange bump on your child's stomach - hernia in children

Nowadays, every child is an infant, and the whole family pays meticulous attention to the child. Some parents will find that a bulge appears under the child's belly when the child is crying. When they go to the hospital for examination, the doctor will tell the parents that this is a childhood hernia. Let's talk about what this strange bulge under the child's belly is.

Let's talk about the symptoms first. This strange lump is usually discovered by parents when their children are crying or taking a bath. It is manifested as a protruding bulge under the lower abdomen, near the thigh root. It is usually very soft and varies in size. Most of them can be pushed back by hand. The bulge will also disappear when the child lies flat. In some boys, the bulge can protrude downward into the scrotum. In very rare cases, it will appear suddenly and cannot be pushed back. This is a dangerous signal and you must go to the hospital as soon as possible.

What is a bulge? A pediatric hernia! It is commonly known as intestinal gas. The reason why children get hernias is a congenital developmental problem. Pediatric hernias are more common in premature babies and boys, and girls also have them, but relatively less. The reason is that one month before a boy is born, the testicles will descend from the abdominal cavity along the inguinal area to the scrotum. The peritoneal hole formed is called the processus vaginalis, which will close by itself. If the processus vaginalis closes poorly or not at all, a congenital hole will be formed in the inguinal area. After the child is born, along with the development of the body, the intestinal tube or omentum in the abdominal cavity will drill out of this hole, and it will appear as a bulge under the lower abdomen that can be pushed back. This is a pediatric hernia. When the child cries, stands, squats, and exerts force, the abdominal pressure increases, and the bulge will be more obvious. In girls, the round ligament of the uterus is located in which part, and hernias may also occur in some cases.

The onset age of childhood hernia is uncertain. It can occur at any age as the child grows and develops, and some may develop the disease in adulthood. If a child is found to have such a condition, he should go to the hospital to see a doctor as soon as possible for a diagnosis. The current treatment principle for childhood hernia is that if it is not serious within 1 and a half years old, conservative treatment can be used, that is, make a hernia belt similar to tight shorts for the child to wear. When the child cries, the parents consciously press the position of the bulge with their hands to protect it. Some children may heal on their own. If it does not heal on its own after 1 and a half years old or the bulge worsens, surgical treatment is required.

The principle of surgical treatment is very simple, that is, find the hole and tie it with a silk thread. This is called high ligation of the hernia sac! There are two ways. One is open surgery, separating from the outside to the inside to find the hole and ligating it. The other is laparoscopic surgery, making a small hole in the abdominal wall, using a laparoscope to directly see, and ligating the hole from the inside of the abdominal cavity at an absolutely high position. We now use laparoscopic surgery for pediatric hernia. Although this procedure has high requirements for doctors, the children recover quickly, have low recurrence, and have little side effects.

Children with hernia should not use ordinary polypropylene patches for repair, which is what we often call tension-free hernia repair, because polypropylene patches have a certain contracture rate, and changes in height as the child's body develops and grows can cause pain.

There is one situation that requires special attention, that is, the bulge suddenly increases when the child suddenly exerts force or cries loudly, and it cannot be pushed back! This is called incarcerated hernia! The bulging thing is stuck outside the hole and cannot go back. This is a dangerous situation. Severe cases can cause intestinal necrosis and endanger life. You must seek medical attention immediately and never push or press the bulge with excessive force.