Excel Hospital
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  • Some Important Facts

    • About 3% to 5% of healthy, full-term babies may be born with an inguinal hernia and one third of hernias of infancy and childhood appear in the first 6 months of life.
    • In premature infants the incidence of inguinal hernia is substantially increased, up to 30%.
    • In just over 10% of cases, other members of the family have also had a hernia at birth or in infancy.
    • The occurrence of an inguinal hernia in boys is related to the development and descent of the testes. The testes develop within the abdomen and at around the seventh month of pregnancy they descend into the scrotum. On their way through the abdominal wall, they pass through the inguinal canal. After they reach the scrotum, the opening behind should close. Failure to close adequately results in a hernia with an opening remaining in the abdominal wall at this point.
    • This is one of the most common paediatric surgical conditions affecting, perhaps, 1 in 5 (20%) of all children.
    • Umbilical hernias are more common in premature babies and children with Down"s syndrome and there is a slight familial tendency.
    • They appear as a bulge at the umbilicus, (the navel) which can vary in size from that of a pea up to the size of a small plum.
    • They are not usually painful and are much more obvious when the baby or child cries or strains.

  • Some Important Facts

    • Bulge or a swelling in the groin or at scrotum.
    • In many cases the swelling may only be seen during crying or straining.
    • Inguinal hernias in children are prone to get "stuck", ie the lump does not go away when the child relaxes, and this is called incarceration. Because incarceration is quite common most experts advise that groin / inguinal hernias should be repaired as soon is practicable after they are discovered / diagnosed. However, an incarcerated or irreducible hernia (that does not reduce or "go back in") should be seen by a doctor urgently.
    • In an acute situation, the child or infant should be admitted to hospital and given some pain relief and sedation.
    • Initial attempts are made by the doctors to gently negotiate the hernia back inside.
    • If the hernia does not go back, or the child is ill, the "irreducible" hernia should be operated upon urgently as it may contain intestine that is in danger of strangulating.
    • Strangulation is extremely serious and must be avoided at all costs. If the hernia does go back without any emergency operation it should still be repaired (operated on) at an early stage.

  • Surgery

    • Laparoscopic Surgery (Preferably)
    • Open Surgery

  • What happens if not Treated?

    • There is a general agreement that most infantile umbilical hernias will eventually close spontaneously, though experts disagree over what period of time.
    • Probably 80 to 90% of umbilical hernias will have closed by the time the child is 3, but the larger ones may be present up to 11 years before finally closing.
    • The time taken to close probably depends on the size of the hole / defect / opening with 95% of umbilical hernias less than 0.5 cm in diameter, closing by the age of 2 years.
    • Umbilical hernias present after puberty will probably not close spontaneously.
    • In the case of infantile umbilical hernias, problems, particularly strangulation - where a portion of intestine becomes trapped in the hernia, rarely occur, so that surgery is rarely required.
    • However the presence of pain in the hernia, particularly if associated with vomiting or constipation requires an urgent surgical opinion and possible operation.

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