My four-month-old son has an inguinal hernia His pediatrician says that this should be surgically corrected as soon as possible. I was wondering if hernias are fairly common and if there is anything that I can do before surgery to prevent it from getting worse. Is this something they are born with, what causes it? Is it dangerous?
Hernias are defects in any wall of the body which allows what's behind the wall to come through. Some of the more common hernias include:
- The abdominal wall at the belly button: The muscles at the umbilicus (belly button) do not quite come together allowing the sac which holds the intestines to poke through. This is commonly called an "outey" belly button. Most close up or at least get substantially smaller before the age of 7 years and require no surgical treatment. Some larger ones may need to be surgically closed.
- Inguinal hernias: The muscles and ligaments in the groin area do not come together completely also allowing the sac holding the intestines to poke through. Some babies (especially premature ones) are born with this. In addition, adolescents particularly males may acquire these. This type of hernia generally does not close on its own.
- Diaphragmatic hernia: This is a life threatening condition which rarely shows up in newborns in which their diaphragm does not develop correctly while in the uterus allowing the intestines to develop in the chest at the expense of the lung developing. These babies must undergo surgery within hours of being born to correct the problem.
Hernias, while not common in babies born on time, are certainly not unheard of. It is easily corrected by the pediatric surgeon. Your son will need to have his hernia repaired soon, but your pediatric surgeon may want to wait until he is a little bigger. The only danger concerning your child's hernia would be if the bulge was not able to be easily pushed back up. When this occurs, it is called an incarcerated hernia. The child with an incarcerated hernia tends to be irritable, won't eat, and may have vomiting.
There isn't much you need to do prior to the surgery except if your baby is constipated. The extra strain to have bowel movements may cause the bulge to enlarge. In addition, I suggest you have your doctor show you the bulge and how to push it back up. This way you may know what to look for if you have concerns that your baby is having problems with his hernia.
