Spontaneous healing of inguinal hernia in children

Children are very young and often develop many diseases that we are not aware of. As parents, what we worry about most is our children's health. Inguinal hernia is a common disease problem in children. Especially for boys, because the groin is close to the reproductive organs of the human body, once a disease problem occurs, it is very serious. But one thing people don’t understand is whether inguinal hernia in children can heal on its own?

1Can hernia in children heal itself?

Can pediatric hernia heal on its own? The possibility of pediatric hernia healing on its own is relatively small, so if parents find that their children have hernia, they should send them to the hospital for examination in time - except for a few infant hernias or small umbilical hernias, which can heal naturally before the age of 2 and can be cured by simply applying tape to the umbilical hernia of the child or wrapping an elastic belly band around it, most inguinal hernias cannot heal on their own, so if a child has symptoms of hernia, he should seek medical attention in time, because the severity of the hernia and whether surgery is needed should be decided by the doctor, and parents cannot postpone the time without authorization to avoid serious consequences such as incarceration.

2How to detect hernia in children

Children are young and unable to express themselves, which requires parents to pay more attention and observation, especially for newborns. Since they are usually wrapped tightly, it is not easy for parents to detect hernia. The most common symptom of hernia in children is a lump in the groin or near the scrotal opening, which is usually painless and non-itchy. The lump will get bigger when the child cries or moves, and will disappear when the child is quiet. If parents find that their child is crying, irritable, vomiting, or has abdominal distension for no reason or suddenly, they should immediately check whether the child has a lump in the groin and send the child to the hospital for examination in time.

You can also observe whether the child has a lump in the groin due to forceful coughing, defecation, urination, crying, or strenuous exercise. If you find any, send the child to the hospital for examination immediately.

3. Hernia in children should not be delayed in treatment, otherwise it will cause lifelong regret

Hernia in children is different from hernia in adults and is a congenital disease. During the embryonic period, the processus vaginalis of the peritoneum in the groin can help the testicles descend into the scrotum. However, after some children are born, the processus vaginalis does not close completely, and the small intestine in the abdominal cavity enters this processus vaginalis, forming a hernia. The most serious danger of hernia is incarceration, where the herniated contents cannot be retracted on their own. At this time, the hernia neck will compress the intestines and cause bleeding, leading to serious complications such as intestinal obstruction and intestinal necrosis, which is life-threatening. In addition, the neck of the hernia sac will compress the spermatic cord and blood vessels, causing testicular necrosis. Some little boys with hernias who delay treatment will eventually have to have their testicles removed, causing lifelong regrets.

Therefore, if the child's hernia does not have much impact on his life, the surgery can be performed after the child is one year old. At this time, the complications of the surgery are relatively few and the risks are relatively small. But with the advancement of medical technology, if the hospital's medical care conditions are in place and the doctors and anesthesiologists have reached a sufficient level of skills, it can be done at any age. At present, there is no age contraindication for pediatric hernia surgery in our hospital.

Postoperative care for hernia in children is also very important. After the operation, you should pay attention to eating and moving as usual, but try to avoid excessive exertion. If vomiting occurs, fast for four hours. Take painkillers regularly, otherwise the child will cry more in pain, which will aggravate the condition. The following are specific postoperative care methods for hernia:

1. After treatment, pay attention to protecting the wound, especially for infants and young children. Do not let the children pull off the gauze covering the wound; do not contaminate the wound with urine or feces, which may cause infection and suppuration of the wound.

2. Since the scrotum may have varying degrees of swelling after the operation, it will generally subside in 2 to 3 days. If the swelling does not subside and becomes hard, there may be blood stasis, so please ask a doctor to check. If the swelling and hardening no longer develop, the blood stasis will slowly be absorbed.

3. Because the wound will be painful to varying degrees after the effect of the anesthetic disappears after surgery, you should coax or divert the child's attention and try to avoid crying and making a fuss. If the crying continues, you can inject or take sedatives orally to let the child sleep quietly. Try to reduce running and standing for too long, pay proper attention to rest, and older children should exercise appropriately to enhance their physical fitness.

4. After the operation, the child should sleep on his side and use a soft cotton diaper folded into a long strip to clamp the perineum. If the operation is on the right side, the child should lie on his left side. Once he urinates, it will not be on the gauze and contaminate the wound. If a diaper is necessary, the gauze on the wound should be exposed outside the diaper.

5. Increase nutrition appropriately. You can eat some foods that have the effect of replenishing qi, such as yam, lentils, chicken, fish, meat, eggs, etc.