Hernia symptoms in children

Early arises in pregnancy in the groin area of ​​the baby a protuberance of the peritoneum to the abdominal wall. In a later phase, for boys the testes (testicles) and the spermatic cords from the abdomen into the scrotum (scrotal). In girls, this is where a suspensory ligament of the uterus to the labia majora. At the end of pregnancy this protuberance glued mostly. Once the normal bonding fails, it is called an inguinal hernia.

Hernias occur more often in boys than in girls and premature babies.

Possible symptoms of a hernia

When a hernia child can (sometimes severe) pain in the groin area suffer or have regular bowel motions. The child may be restless and fretful through the pain and eat and / or drink may be less.

In girls can get into the sack out of the bowels of the ovaries. To prevent the intestines (or ovaries) fasten the hernia sac, the break must be surgically closed.

Recording and operation

Before treatment (surgery) hernia, the child usually one or more days are taken, which may be dependent on the age of the child and / or of any adventitious problems.

The operation is performed under general anesthesia. During the surgery is closed the open connection through an incision in the groin. This incision is sutured after the operation with self-releasing threads under the skin, so that they do not need to be removed. In order to relieve the pain after surgery, the child gets often during anesthesia local anesthesia in the groin.

When your child is allowed to go home?

Your child after surgery you may take home quite quickly; a newborn must remain in hospital in general a few days. Babies who were born more than three weeks early and the time of surgery yet twenty weeks after corresponds to the calculated date of birth are old, are monitored after surgery 24 hours. In older children, the monitoring is done only on indication. Most children may, after consultation with the doctor on the same day at home. A baby should drink about an hour after the operation.

If all goes well, the own food scheme can be quickly resumed. For the older child, it is important that it regularly drink something to take in enough liquid.

 Possible Complications

A hernia surgery is a minor procedure; but even with small interventions complications can sometimes arise. It may possibly occur in the area of ​​the wound bleeding or infection. Sometimes the scrotum may swell up due to water accumulation. In boys, the spermatic cord is pushed away from the hernia sac. This may in this case be damaged. Also, the testicles can be located by scar tissue outside of the scrotum. Some children can not walk after surgery through the syringe in the groin temporarily. Six hours after the operation here an improvement to have occurred. The risk that the hernia coming back, is very small. Sometimes later drops to only that in the other bar, a hernia exists. (In most cases, both edges are checked.) The range of operation may be slightly swollen in the first few days.



When you need to contact with the doctor?
Why not get in touch with the doctor immediately or with the children's department if you notice the following:

Your child gets a sudden fever.
The wound looks very red.
The wound inflamed.
They noted that the scrotum (for a boy) very swollen.
Your child suddenly feels very bad. (It is normal that your child is ill up to about six hours after the procedure.)