Management of inguinal hernia in infants

For inguinal hernia in infants, non-surgical treatment can be chosen first under the age of 1 year, and surgical treatment can be chosen if the treatment is not effective. Inguinal hernias can be categorized into straight and hiatal hernias. Hiatal hernias are more common in infants and young adults. Straight hernias are more common in the elderly. Surgery is generally chosen for treatment. However, for infants and young children under one year of age, the abdominal muscles can grow with the body and the hernia may disappear on its own, so no surgery is done first. A cotton wool bandage or bandage is enough to compress the inner ring of the inguinal canal and prevent the abdominal mass from protruding. For surgical treatment, there is the simple hernia sac high ligation, where the neck of the hernia sac is ligated high in the neck. There is also Ferguson’s method, which focuses on repairing the anterior inguinal wall, and is indicated for those who do not have significant defects in the transversal abdominal fascia and who have a sound posterior wall of the inguinal canal. The choice of procedure can be made according to the circumstances. If an infant is found to have an inguinal hernia, prompt medical attention should be sought to avoid adverse consequences.