Umbilical hernia in children is a fairly common occurrence, from which (according to statistics) every fifth child suffers. Sometimes newborns have a significant protrusion in the abdomen. This is what the pathology in question looks like. Most parents immediately start to panic, without understanding the problem. Often moms and dads require immediate surgery. An umbilical hernia in children does not always pose a threat to the he alth of the baby. Moreover, surgical intervention for a newborn child will definitely not benefit. Doctors, depending on the appearance of the pathology, suggest waiting up to a year, and the disease goes away on its own. In any case, if you find symptoms of a hernia in your baby, first consult with the doctors, and only then take action.
Terminology
Umbilical hernia in children according to ICD 10 (International Classification of Diseases) has code K42, which also includes intestinal obstruction. As you know, after the birth of the baby, the umbilical cord is cut off, and a wound forms in this place, which heals over time. For the successful completion of the process, the mother must every day in the morning and in the evening herprocess. Usually within a month, the wound heals and a navel forms.
In some situations, defects associated with congenital or acquired developmental disorders appear at this site. And so after a while the baby has a hernia. Pathology is characterized by protrusion of the internal organs of the peritoneum. In most situations, such an ailment is observed in newborns up to a year. According to statistics, premature babies are more likely to get sick.
As you know, the still unformed body of a child is rather weak, especially in the place of the umbilical cord. When crying, coughing and other actions, an additional load is placed on the muscles, which negatively affects them. Because of this, the internal organs of the peritoneum climb up, since it is impossible to keep them in the correct position.
Reasons for appearance
We have already noted that the disease can be both congenital and acquired. Also, defects can occur after ligation of the umbilical cord. In most cases, the hernia disappears on its own as soon as the abdominal muscles get stronger, but sometimes the pathology occurs in preschoolers and school-age children.
Umbilical hernia in infants directly indicates poor development of the abdominal walls. This may be due to the anatomical features of the structure of a particular child. Pathologies can be preceded by both hereditary and genetic factors, and those that developed while the fetus was in the womb. This situation occurs if the mother, while carrying the baby, did not eat properly, she lacked vitamins.and minerals. In addition, past illnesses play an important role.
When a doctor talks about an acquired form of pathology, he means the imperfection of the child's gastrointestinal tract or the malfunctioning of the digestive system. Various diseases (like protein deficiency or rickets) can cause umbilical hernia in children.
Newborns have such a problem - they are constantly tormented by colic and gases. The result is constipation, which puts extra pressure on the peritoneum. Therefore, the umbilical ring will take longer to heal than usual. The cause must be identified in the first place, so that later it would be easier to choose a therapy.
Symptoms of umbilical hernia in children
Pathology is quite easy to determine, because some violations are noticeable at the first visual examination. The main symptom of the disease is a protrusion in the form of a ball above the navel. The size of the neoplasm varies from one to ten centimeters. With light pressure, the ball will fit into the peritoneum, and then come out back. If the umbilical ring is small, changes are visible only when the abdominal muscles are tense. It is also worth paying attention to the fact that the color changes in this place of the body.
Among the symptoms of an umbilical hernia in children are bloating and colic. A child who has an ailment is much more painful to endure these signs. In addition, children with pathology are weather dependent. This means that they react sharply to changing weather conditions: they become capricious, become lethargic and sleepy.
Only a qualified surgeon can determine the presence of a hernia. Hehe also prescribes the method and time of treatment of the pathology. Sometimes the “skin navel” is mistaken for the ailment in question, because outwardly they are very similar. Moreover, it can be said that it looks exactly like a hernia, although it is simply a physiological feature of the individual. To minimize the risk of error, you need to understand what an umbilical hernia looks like in a child (you will find a photo below).
Diagnostic measures
As you know, a pediatrician conducts a visual examination of a child. If any disease is suspected, the doctor sends the mother and baby to a specialist of a narrower profile, in our case, this is a surgeon. The latter can accurately determine the pathology, tell about the measures that need to be taken. How to understand that a child has an umbilical hernia? In almost all cases, it is difficult not to notice, because the peritoneum protrudes strongly. However, to confirm the diagnosis, the doctor usually prescribes additional studies. The most effective here is an ultrasound examination of internal organs, a clinical blood test, as well as an X-ray examination of the abdominal cavity.
Based on the results of laboratory tests and visual examination, the doctor makes a diagnosis. In some situations, additional instrumental studies are prescribed. This is done in cases where the further therapy of the baby depends on the results, it is necessary to make a decision on the need for an umbilical hernia operation in children. Usually the doctor does not see the need to hospitalize the child, but the baby should be under the supervision of the attending physician at all times.
Treatments
Most often, the method of therapy is chosen based on the size of the pathology. In most cases, traditional medicine is enough, you do not have to resort to surgical intervention. This is possible if the umbilical hernia in children is rather small, does not increase in size and does not cause discomfort to the baby. Usually, pathology is treated in even simpler ways. For example, massage and gymnastics are great for this purpose.
Treatment of umbilical hernia in children may be limited to medications. There are special medications that are aimed at strengthening the walls of the abdomen, which will subsequently save the baby from the disease. If you add massage sessions and gymnastics to this conservative treatment, you can achieve excellent results in a short time. The deadline is four or five years. If no effect was achieved at this time, doctors think about surgery.
Massage
It is worth noting that only high-quality complex therapy will help save the child from this disease. Massage is allowed to be done a week after the wound has healed. For starters, the mother needs to take the baby to a specialist. In the future, she will be able to do the necessary work herself, she just needs to understand the principle.
At home, you can do a massage no worse than a professional. Before proceeding with the action, it is necessary to correct the protrusion, carefully seal this place with a plaster. So the hernia will not fall out during the session. The movements of the massage therapist should be smooth and light, in no casepress on the belly. First you just need to stroke around the navel in one direction, then in the other. Then you can start massaging the oblique muscles of the abdominal cavity to strengthen them. Here you need to increase the intensity of movements, then go back to stroking. Next, apply the light pinching technique.
The entire session lasts a maximum of five minutes. It is advisable to massage several times a day before meals. This is a great way to deal with umbilical hernia in children. Reviews of mothers about this are quite positive. Massage will actually work if done daily.
Gymnastics
Most babies are quite active, so doing exercises is just a joy for them. For the smallest, the following tasks are used:
- Before each feeding, put the baby on the tummy for a few minutes.
- Then you need to turn the child on the right and left side in turn, this should be done fairly quickly, stopping for a couple of seconds. To do this, you need to keep the baby facing you, tilt the body back (do not forget to hold the head so that it does not tilt back).
- From the supine position, raise the kids by the hands, holding the back, the head and legs should hang down calmly, the baby will need to relax.
- Buy a big ball if possible. You can put the child on the back of this ball, you need to roll it, holding the baby by the legs.
Older children undergo a full course of physical therapy and gymnastics. These activities strengthen the abdominal cavity,which speeds up the healing process. Treatment of umbilical hernia in children without gymnastics is simply impossible, so the doctor's recommendations on this matter should be taken seriously.
Bandage and patches
In addition to massage and exercise therapy, some parents use a special patch. It is not difficult to guess that its purpose is to eliminate the umbilical hernia. The bandage and plaster should be applied only after the wound has healed. The main thing is to stick correctly. This must be done in such a way that a fold forms. The time of wearing the patch is ten days, the course should be repeated a couple of times with short breaks.
When choosing a material, you need to look closely. Patches made from hypoallergenic and breathable raw materials are considered good. As you know, a child has very delicate skin, and it is very easy to damage it. The bandage is put on if it is necessary to prevent infringement of the hernia. When you wear this device, the walls of the abdominal cavity are strengthened, and the ring is reduced. All the factors described will sooner or later lead to a full recovery.
Surgery
A child has an umbilical hernia: what to do? For starters, you just need to calm down and visit a pediatrician. Sometimes there are situations when the operation becomes inevitable. Usually, about three years are given for waiting and conservative treatment. If during this period the pathology is not eliminated, an operation is required. Surgeons need to discuss all the nuances with their parents, special attention should be paid to girls. Because they are the futuremothers, and if the symptoms are ignored and not treated, the hernia can grow to an unrealistic size.
Removal of an umbilical hernia in children occurs as follows: the surgeon sets the abdominal cavity and sutures the defect. If the operation was performed by a qualified doctor, a recurrence is unlikely. Despite the apparent ease, this intervention must be taken seriously. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the child is under anesthesia, and caution must be brought to the fore.
What not to do?
In the modern world, there are still people who are not in a hurry to take their child to the doctor, but try to self-medicate. Of course, here one cannot do without folk recipes, the effectiveness of which has not yet been proven, and it is not known whether it will ever be proven.
Let's consider actions that definitely cannot be done:
- Seal the hernia with a coin. This was true in the past, when coins were made of copper. This metal causes an inflammatory process in the area of the hernia, and it heals through the scar. Modern coins will not help in any way, because it is important not only to correct the pathology, but also to keep the edges of the hernia gate nearby.
- Show the baby to witches, psychics, etc. There are a huge number of charlatans around who will definitely come up with some kind of conspiracy to suck money. From the umbilical hernia get rid of by biting. Witches sometimes bite hernial gates with their teeth. Then it is not surprising that there will be a wound and inflammation in this place, and a scar will be added later. It is forbiddenargue that this method does not work. However, isn't it easier to immediately seek help from a specialist, and not rely on witches, who can only aggravate the situation.
Prevention
From this article we learned what an umbilical hernia looks like in a child, its causes and methods of treatment. In order to never resort to the latter, it is necessary to follow the rules of prevention. Consider a few effective recommendations:
- leave breastfeeding as long as possible, because milk is the prevention of constipation and bloating;
- nursing mother should reconsider her diet and not eat unhe althy foods;
- be sure the mother should eat cereals, vegetables, fruits and herbs;
- breastfeeding is sometimes not possible, then the attending physician selects the right formula;
- protect your baby from colds, do not cry loudly, because the abdominal muscles tense up and the chance of an umbilical hernia increases;
- massage and gymnastics will help strengthen the abdominal muscles of the press.
One of the most effective methods of prevention lies in developing the right diet. You can not allow dysbacteriosis. With this pathology, the risk of umbilical hernia significantly increases. It is necessary to eliminate all the symptoms of diseases, and then you can completely cure the child in a short time.
Parents should make sure that the tummy is not too tense. Here you need to provide maximum protection against the common cold, colds and other similar diseases. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of massage and therapeutic exercises, because they are simply invaluable for the treatment.
