1. What is a hernia.
Some small babies are born with incomplete closure of the sphincter leading to abdominal wall defect (hernia) or weakness (hiatus hernia), resulting in organs such as small intestine, omentum and ovary protruding outside the abdominal cavity through the abdominal wall defect and forming a hernia. The incidence of hernia is 1-4%, male:female = 10:1, mostly on the right side, and can occur bilaterally at the same time.
2. When does it occur.
A pediatric hernia may occur at birth, months or years later.
3. How to know that your little one has a hernia.
When a small baby sees a protruding mass in the groin unilaterally or bilaterally, sometimes extending to the scrotum or labia, after crying, strenuous exercise, forceful defecation or even when quiet, which will disappear when lying down or when pressing with the hand, it is basically determined that the small baby has an inguinal hernia.
4.What are the hazards of hernia.
(1) Affecting the digestive system, with abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, poor digestion and absorption, easy fatigue and reduced physical fitness.
(2) As the hernia is adjacent to the spermatic cord and testicles, long-term repeated extrusion can affect the normal development of the reproductive system.
(3) Long-term repeated friction between the intestinal canal and the abdominal wall leads to inflammatory swelling of the intestinal canal, which can easily lead to intestinal obstruction and even intestinal necrosis, which may endanger the life of the little baby if ignored.
5. How to know that a baby has an incarcerated hernia (the most dangerous situation).
(1) unexplained crying and fussiness
(2) abdominal pain, bloating, violent vomiting
(3) poor bowel movement and bloody stools.
6.How to treat hernia.
(1) Surgery is the only treatment that can cure hernia.
(2) Hernia belt can temporarily stop the hernia from protruding, but its effect is limited and long-term wearing is not good for the baby’s health.
(3) Don’t believe in the lie that a hernia can be treated by medicine and injection.
7.When is surgery appropriate?
(1) In case of no incidence of incarceration, surgery above the age of 1 can minimize the risk of anesthesia (the greatest risk of pediatric hernia surgery comes from the risk of anesthesia).
(2) In the case of an incarcerated hernia, if the incarcerated hernia can be reset by the surgeon’s professional manipulation, refer to (1).
(3) In the case of an incarcerated hernia that cannot be reset by the doctor’s professional manipulation, immediate emergency surgery is required.
8.What conditions are not suitable for surgery.
(1) Severe congenital heart disease, where the baby still shows signs of hypoxia at rest
(2) serious liver, kidney, brain and other important organ diseases that cannot tolerate general anesthesia
(3) Severe coagulation dysfunction.
(4) respiratory tract infection, small babies with fever, violent cough and sputum are not suitable for surgery, otherwise postoperative respiratory tract infection is aggravated and postoperative cough can lead to higher recurrence rate.