Patient's question:
The son of a friend is three months old. He has been crying very hard recently because of discomfort. There is a hard lump in his right ribs, with a diameter of about 5 centimeters. The doctor at the clinic said he has an inguinal hernia. What factors can cause a child to develop an inguinal hernia?Doctor's answer:
Hello! Pediatric inguinal hernia is one of the most common diseases in pediatric surgery and hernia surgery, mainly including congenital inguinal hernia and umbilical hernia. The main factors causing pediatric hernia are congenital factors. Inguinal hernia is mainly caused by the failure of the processus vaginalis to close, while umbilical hernia is due to the inability of the umbilical ring to shrink and close promptly, often resulting from incomplete growth and development at birth in premature and low-birth-weight infants. Inguinal hernias in children over one year old cannot heal on their own. If a child with an umbilical hernia is over 4 years old or has an umbilical ring diameter of 2 to 3 cm, surgery should be considered.