Hernias in newborns are perhaps the most common childhood disease. And that is why parents need to know about the symptoms of this childhood illness, as well as how it is treated and prevented.
The most common types of hernia in newborn boys and girls are inguinal and umbilical. These pathologies may appear slightly and be completely painless for the child, but this does not mean that this disease does not need to be treated. Hernias in children require modern and high-quality methods of treatment and prevention. The main advice for such an ailment would be a timely appeal to a specialist and the lack of self-treatment.
Types of hernia in babies
Umbilical hernias in newborns are round or oval protrusions around the navel. These formations are soft and easily set inward, and hernias can also emit characteristic gurglingsounds.
The navel is formed in the first month of a person's life, and in the place of the umbilical ring, the skin tightens and scars. In cases where the umbilical ring is not fully tightened, elements of the internal organs that are in the abdominal cavity can get under the skin at this place. It is this phenomenon that is commonly called a hernia in newborns.
Sizes
If we talk about the size of such pathological formations, then the umbilical hernia in an infant can be different. The volume of a hernia can vary from the size of a pea to the size of a large plum.
Inguinal hernias in newborns are formed when fragments of internal organs enter the area of the inguinal canal, most often such fragments are intestinal loops, and in girls also the fallopian tubes and ovaries.
Symptoms of umbilical hernia in babies
The symptoms of this disease are obvious and pronounced, so each parent can independently determine the presence of this pathology in their child. The navel with a hernia can strongly protrude outward, especially at the moments when the baby cries and screams. Symptoms of a hernia in newborns are important to identify in a timely manner. Over time, this protrusion of the navel becomes more and more pronounced, and the child's stomach looks slightly enlarged. In order to avoid the development of possible complications of such a violation, you should carefully monitor the symptoms.
The cause of the development of umbilical hernia in newborns (pictured), experts believe hereditary factors. Andif their parents were diagnosed with an umbilical hernia in childhood, then there is a very high probability that the offspring will also develop a similar pathology.
Definition of inguinal hernia
This type of hernia in newborns is more difficult to detect than the umbilical one, since it does not cause any painful manifestations, and parents may not notice it until the formation increases to a certain size. The symptoms of this type of pathology are similar to those observed during the development of umbilical hernias. These symptoms include:
- Slight swelling in the pelvic area.
- The hernia can be easily pushed inward.
- When crying and straining, the formation increases in size.
The main danger is infringement. This complication involves squeezing certain fragments of the abdominal organs that fall into the hernial sac, as a result of which blood circulation is disturbed, and blood is hardly supplied to these organs. Characteristic signs of such pathological situations are acute pain, as well as unreduced protrusion of the hernial sac.
Treatment
The good news for all parents should be that this type of umbilical hernia in newborns (pictured) is cured on its own. Over time, the child grows, begins to move, which helps to strengthen the muscles of the abdominal wall. The umbilical ring gradually shrinks, narrows and the hernia, thus, can close itself, without interventionsurgeons. However, there is a small percentage of cases where treatment should be carried out under the close supervision of specialists.
Effective in this case is an umbilical hernia bandage for newborns.
Treatment of another type of hernia - inguinal, is treated exclusively by surgical methods. This is done, as a rule, at the age of about 6-12 months. But the operation in this case should not be postponed, and if it is possible, then only in cases where the risk of infringement of the internal organs of the peritoneum in the child is absolutely absent.
In order to avoid the need for treatment of hernia in newborns, it is important to take preventive measures in advance.
Prevention
Everyone knows that any disease is best prevented or cured at an early stage, so it is very important to take into account the peculiarities of preventive methods. The best way to prevent these diseases is to ensure proper infant care.
One of the ways to prevent the development of hernias is preventive massage. It should be carried out by an experienced massage therapist, but it is best to use the services of this specialist after consulting a pediatrician. You can also carry out this procedure on your own, however, this should be done with extreme caution, having previously familiarized yourself with certain rules for conducting massage procedures for newborn children. It is very important that the child likes this procedure, otherwise, during the massage, he will be nervous and scream, and thisrepresents a risk of umbilical hernia in newborns or inguinal.
Another method of preventing such pathologies is physical therapy, which is a set of special exercises aimed at strengthening the muscles of the abdominal wall.
Exercises for the treatment and prevention of hernia
In order to strengthen the abdominal muscles in a newborn baby, there are several simple exercises.
- Take the child by the arm and leg and help him roll over on his side. Such flips should be carried out alternately on both sides.
- Take the child by both hands, spread them apart and lift the child up, forcing the head and upper body to raise.
- Exercise with a ball. Holding the baby by the shoulders, you need to put him on a rubber ball, and roll him on it, first on his stomach, then on his back.
Such strengthening exercises will help in prevention. At the first symptoms, you can purchase an umbilical hernia bandage for newborns.
Other preventive measures
Parents should closely monitor their child's diet. This is very important so that the baby does not experience bloating and excessive gas formation in the intestines, as well as constipation and colic, since such situations provoke tension in the abdominal muscles of the child and contribute to their stretching, which leads to the formation of umbilical hernias.
What is the danger of an umbilical hernia?
Herniarepresents the exit of the internal organs of the newborn through the so-called "hernial gate", which can be formed naturally, or through an artificial opening in the somatic cavity. In the case of umbilical hernias, such "gates" are openings in the healed connective tissues, which during intrauterine development were part of the umbilical cord.
Visually hernias, especially inguinal hernias in newborns, are not always noticeable, and in some cases only a specialist, a pediatric surgeon, can determine their presence. Pathology can be detected through palpation, as well as with tension, when the baby coughs, strains or cries. Even if a hernia is found, you should not panic, because the child does not always experience pain. Even if the child is crying, this does not mean that this particular pathology worries him.
A protruding navel can also be caused by constipation in a child, which can cause restlessness and pain in the abdomen.
Umbilical hernia in babies is a very common occurrence, which is not worth worrying about. Most often, these pathologies occur in girls and premature babies. Education heals on its own, but it is necessary to observe the child with a specialist.
Consequences
If such a pathology in a child does not cause concern and passes over time, there is no point in worrying, since no negative consequences can arise after this. However, any protrusionthis kind has a low probability of developing some complications, which include infringement of internal organs, inflammation or accidental damage to them, disruption of the intestines, up to intestinal obstruction and stagnation of feces. In this case, the protrusion becomes the most noticeable visually, and the child begins to behave extremely restlessly. He may experience nausea, vomiting, general intoxication of the body.
A pathological formation cannot be reduced by traditional methods, and then there is only one way out of the situation - surgical treatment of a hernia. Sometimes doctors prescribe wearing a bandage, but this method of treatment is not the most effective.
At home, the treatment of umbilical hernia in newborns consists in some simple rules for organizing a lifestyle, for example, it is necessary to lay the baby on the tummy more often, do exercises and massages.
Surgical treatment
An operation of a similar nature for a hernia in newborns (photo is presented) is called "hernoiplaty", and can be performed by several methods. The tactics of the operation depends on how large the protrusion is and many other factors.
The uncomplicated surgical procedure takes approximately 30-50 minutes. In older children, it can be done under local anesthesia, and in infants, the procedure is performed using general anesthesia.
Surgical tactics
First of all, specialists slightly dissect the skin in the navel area. Through the resulting hole, the internal organs,which are components of a hernial formation, are put into place - inside the abdominal cavity.
The hernial sac itself, which consists of connective tissue, is cut off by specialists, while suturing its gates. After all of the above manipulations, sutures are applied to the dissection sites, and the surgical procedure is considered completed. In order to avoid bleeding and the formation of bruises, the doctor puts a cotton ball in the recess of the navel, and a sterile gauze bandage is glued on top.
Hernioplasty for umbilical hernia in newborns is the most common surgical method used in pediatric surgery, so the technique of this operation is well developed. Before the operation, the child should not be fed in the evening, and he should not be given water for two hours before the surgical event. After the application of general anesthesia, children may experience mild dizziness, drowsiness, and sometimes even nausea, but these symptoms are not pathological and are considered normal in the postoperative period.
After a few hours, the child can already eat and move freely. The baby is discharged from the hospital, sometimes even the next day after the operation, if the child feels satisfactory and his he alth does not cause any concern among the doctors. A week after the surgical resolution of the pathology, you can remove the bandage and return to your normal lifestyle.
We looked at how an umbilical hernia is treated in newborns.
