Patient's question:
When the child was born, everything was normal. She was breastfed, but recently, for some unknown reason, she has been crying non-stop, her voice even hoarse. Yesterday, it was discovered that her lower abdomen had a small intestine that seemed to have fallen below the testicles. She was weakly lifting her limbs, and upon examination, it was said that it was a hernia. How should a severe hernia in a child be treated?Doctor's answer:
Most pediatric hernias are caused by factors such as abdominal wall scars or weakness. The typical symptom is a lump in the groin when the infant cries. This type of hernia never causes pain. Coughing or increased abdominal pressure may exacerbate the condition. If the hernia is still prominent at age two or worsens, it should be treated promptly with manual methods. The smaller the child, the lower the risk of surgical complications, and only a high ligation of the hernial sac is required. If the lump does not disappear at rest, it indicates a relatively large local hernial sac, which is related to abnormal growth and development of the abdominal wall itself. Generally, surgical treatment is better for patients around three years old, especially when they experience recurrent falls.