Hernias are  fairly common in children. Babies especially premature infants can even be born with it. It occurs when a  section of the intestine protrudes through a weakness in the abdominal muscles. It is a lump under the skin in the tummy or groin area .

During the first few weeks  of  pregnancy  , it is common for the developing baby to have a large gap in his tummy muscles.  If this gap does not close fully as the baby is developing in utero, he can be born with a hernia.

There are 2 common types of hernias in babies  and children

• umbilical hernia : This happens  at the bottom of the tummy. It  is more common in girls than boys . Babies of African-American decent are at risk
• Inguinal hernia : This occurs in the groin areas and may extend up to the tummy. This is more common in boys than girls

Who is at risk of developing hernias ?

Your child is at risk of developing a hernia if he  falls in the following category.

• family history of hernia
• premature babies
• undescended testicles
• abnormalities of the urethra
• cystic fibrosis
• developmental dysplasia of the hip

Can i tell if my baby has hernia ?

You can be able to detect a hernia when your baby is born. It can  be detected by the doctor, midwife or health worker. Hernias can also be detected later when the child is a little bit older. However,  if it is relatively small, the hernia may bulge out when the baby cries, coughs or empty his bowels.

Why is hernia a concern ?

The main danger of hernias is when  the loop of  the intestines that protrudes through the hernia gets stuck. This means it cannot return back to the abdominal cavity. This is called strangulated hernia and is a medical emergency. Take your child to the doctor immediately if :

• the lump becomes hard and doesn’t go down or become soft when the baby stops crying
• the lump is painful for the baby when touched
• your baby starts vomiting and is not well

Most umbilical hernia usually go away on their own as the child grows and muscles become stronger.  Your doctor may only recommend surgery if the hernia is too large or doesn’t go away.

Inguinal hernia on the other hand can be a problem. The bowel can become trapped which is can be fatal. The doctor will recommend surgery  before complications set in.

What are  the treatment options ?

Your doctor may push the hernia back in for a short-term. You should not try this yourself because you can hurt your baby. However,  the main treatment for hernia is surgery. It is a very common surgery in children. This is usually a day process. Some children may go home the same day and others  may need to stay in the hospital for observation.

Your baby may need pain reliever for a couple of days but should recover soon.
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