Pediatric hernia is, medically speaking, primarily a congenital hiatal hernia. Because the boy’s testicles descend through the inguinal canal to the scrotum just before birth, the consequent downward migration of the peritoneum forms the sheathing process. If the sheath is not atretic after birth, it becomes a larger cavity from which the abdominal contents protrude to the surface, forming a hiatal hernia. Because the right testicle descends slightly later than the left and the sphincter atresizes later, there are more inguinal hernias on the right side. Of course, girls can also form hiatal hernia due to weakness of the abdominal wall, but the incidence is lower. Symptoms of pediatric hernia: 1. Usually, when a child cries, exercises vigorously, or has dry stools, there is a protruding mass in the groin, sometimes extending to the scrotum or labia; when lying down or pressing with the hand, the intestine returns to the abdominal cavity through the sheath, and the mass thus disappears on its own. 2. Once the hernia mass becomes embedded (the hernia mass becomes too large to return to the abdominal cavity through the smaller sheath due to twisting, etc.), intestinal obstruction will occur, manifested by abdominal pain, crying, vomiting, abdominal distention, fever, irritability, and even dehydration and shock. If the swelling is embedded and cannot be returned to the abdominal cavity, an oval-shaped swelling with hard texture and obvious tenderness will be seen in the groin or scrotum; the skin will be red and swollen if the swelling is embedded for a long time, and serious complications such as ischemic necrosis of the intestinal tube may occur if the intestinal tube cannot be returned for a long time. Since the abdominal muscles of infants can gradually become stronger with the growth of the body and the hernia may disappear on its own, infants under one year old can be suspended from surgery, and the changes in the condition can be observed at any time, and when the hernia mass protrudes, it can be returned in time, or the inner ring of the inguinal canal can be pressed with cotton thread or bandages under the guidance of the doctor to prevent the hernia mass from protruding again and give the developing abdominal muscles a chance to strengthen the abdominal wall. This prevents the hernia from re-protruding and gives the developing abdominal muscles a chance to strengthen the abdominal wall, often avoiding surgical treatment. If the hernia is older than one year, surgical treatment is often required. The reason is that as the hernia mass grows larger with age, the inguinal canal becomes more porous. If the hernia mass appears with slight force or even when standing, it often interferes with normal life. Pediatric hernia is a common pediatric condition, especially in male babies who are most likely to get it. Although it is not a serious condition, it can cause serious diseases such as intestinal obstruction and intestinal necrosis if left untreated, so prevention of pediatric hernia is an essential task for mothers and fathers during the childcare stage. How to prevent your baby from getting a hernia: 1. Some adults are afraid that the child’s stomach will get cold and will wrap up the baby’s stomach, but don’t wrap it too tightly so as not to increase the pressure inside the baby’s abdomen. Don’t let your baby stand too early, especially for a long time, because this will make your baby’s intestines fall due to gravity and increased abdominal pressure, which can easily lead to an inguinal hernia. 3. Do not let your baby cry for a long time, because crying can lead to an increase in abdominal pressure and cause a hernia. 4. If your baby is sick and coughing, you should also treat your baby in time to avoid coughing loudly for a long time, which can lead to an increase in abdominal pressure and cause a hernia. Pediatric hernia usually occurs within one year of birth, so parents of babies at this stage should always observe whether their babies have lumps in the groin or scrotum, or repeatedly cry for no reason. So what should I do if my baby has a hernia? Some parents may say that their baby is still young and they don’t want him to go to the hospital to suffer, hoping to wait and see if the condition will be relieved, but the fact is that most pediatric hernias cannot heal on their own, and early treatment has an important impact on the baby’s recovery. The biggest danger of pediatric hernia is that when the baby cries violently or exerts himself suddenly, the intra-abdominal pressure suddenly increases and the abdominal intestinal canal protrudes too much, or some children apply the hernia belt for a long time so that the neck of the hernia sac is often rubbed and becomes thick and tough. In some children, the neck of the hernia sac often becomes thick and tough due to friction, so that the contents of the hernia cannot be returned to the hospital. If the hernia is embedded for too long, serious complications such as necrosis of the intestinal canal may occur, and then emergency surgery is much more risky. Therefore, when parents find out that their baby has a hernia, they should take their baby to a regular hospital immediately. Treatment: Minimally invasive surgical methods are mostly used to treat pediatric “hernia”.