How does an umbilical hernia manifest in children?

An umbilical hernia in a child is formed even during fetal development or after birth, that is, the pathology can be congenital and acquired. The protrusion of the umbilical ring occurs more often due to weakness of the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall. Some areas of the peritoneum have anatomical openings that, under the influence of high pressure or due to injury, expand, passing the internal organs. This is how a hernia develops in a child.

With a protrusion in the navel, the exit of organs occurs directly through the umbilical ring, less often the formation appears above its level.

What does an umbilical hernia look like in children:

The navel sticks out a few centimeters.
Education has a round or oval shape.
The protrusion disappears on its own and is reduced with light pressure.
During coughing, you can feel the expansion of the umbilical ring.
With muscle tension, an increase in hernia occurs.
When the child is relaxed and lies on his stomach, the defect decreases.

How does a hernia manifest in children?

In children under one year, the formation of a hernia of the umbilical ring occurs gradually. The defect occurs due to frequent crying or screaming, constipation and bloating can also be the cause. In newborns, the pathological process begins from the moment the umbilical cord is cut, when the scarring process is delayed due to inflammation and suppuration of the navel.

An umbilical hernia in a child consists of the following elements:

Hernial orifice - the area of the exit of internal organs under the skin.
Hernial sac - internal membranes.
Hernial contents - organs and tissues located in the hernial sac.

How to determine that a child has a hernia will help a pediatrician or surgeon. The latter will also be able to tell whether surgical treatment is urgently needed or whether there is still the possibility of self-reduction of the defect.

The symptoms of an umbilical hernia in children under 6 years of age are practically the same, but the complex will largely depend on the degree of protrusion and the general health of the child. Large defects can be infringed at any time.

How to recognize a strangulated hernia:

The navel stops moving.
The child is acting restless.
There is no cough impulse.
The hernia is growing.
General symptoms are noted: high fever, weakness, pallor of the skin.

Why does a hernia appear

The main cause of the disease is a defect in the muscles of the anterior wall of the abdomen. This phenomenon is observed with underdevelopment of the umbilical ring and muscle weakness.

A defect in the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall can also occur for the following reasons:

frequent hysterical cough;
excess weight;
prematurity;
rickets and atrophy of muscle tissue;
connective tissue pathology;
poor healing of the navel after cutting the umbilical cord;
genetic predisposition;
increased intra-abdominal pressure;
before the start of walking.

Complications of an umbilical hernia

Certain conditions and phenomena can aggravate the course of the pathology, provoking complications from the gastrointestinal tract. This disease in children is dangerous with the risk of infringement, which can occur at any time.

This complication is associated with a sudden expansion of the hernial orifice, during which the organs come out in a larger volume, and their abrupt closure, resulting in compression.

Possible complications of a hernia of the umbilical ring in a child:

inflammation - a serious condition in which there is a violation of blood circulation, infection of organs in the hernial sac and the spread of the inflammatory process to neighboring tissues;
intestinal obstruction - stagnation of stool occurs in the intestinal loops, which stops defecation, the patient develops signs of intoxication of the body, it is poisoned by toxic substances that enter the bloodstream through the intestinal mucosa;
peritonitis - inflammation of the abdominal cavity due to organ rupture, such a condition without timely help can cause death.

Each complication of a hernia will be an indication for surgical intervention. Most often there is an infringement of an umbilical hernia in children in the hernial sac or in the area of the gate. To check whether such a violation has occurred, you need to try to lightly slap education.

If the navel is not set, this indicates an infringement or its imminent appearance.

Treatment Methods

An umbilical hernia in children needs to be treated surgically. With pathology in a baby up to six months, attempts are made to reduce the defect without surgery. It is possible to understand whether surgical treatment is necessary only after examining the child. The surgeon will order an ultrasound and laboratory tests. The latter will help determine whether there is an inflammatory process, because in this case, you will have to pre-treat with drug therapy.

Before choosing a treatment, parents should understand that surgery will be the only option for removing the formation with the lowest risk of recurrence of the pathology. This is a frequent and recognizable pathology in children, with which surgeons do not have difficulties, because the risks of surgery are much less than the hernia itself.

When a hernia of the umbilical ring is detected, the following treatment methods are used:

massage - daily performance contributes to the stable functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and normal blood circulation, it can be performed by parents, but after prior consultation with a specialist;
Exercise therapy is a set of exercises aimed at strengthening the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall, individual movements have a general strengthening effect, contributing to the normal flow of blood and lymph from the pathological focus;
the patch is an alternative to the umbilical bandage, but with a large number of contraindications and adverse reactions, the adhesive patch irritates the skin and does not completely wrap around the child's tummy, which does not exclude the infringement of the hernia;
bandage - a supporting belt securely fixes the formation, preventing the protrusion of organs through the muscles under the skin, such a remedy is prescribed for all children with an acquired hernia of the umbilical ring.

Surgical removal is carried out with the ineffectiveness of conservative treatment in the period from six months to a year of the child's life or after 6 years.

At an early age, removal is considered when there is a threat to the life of the baby. It is also necessary to remove a hernia in a child with congenital anomalies of the musculoskeletal apparatus, because in this case the probability of closing the umbilical ring is minimal. It is especially important to perform an operation in girls, because in the future, during pregnancy, a hernia can be complicated, and become a threat to the health of the mother and unborn child. With a hernia in boys, they are in no hurry with the operation, and the disease often has the character of an aesthetic defect.

Folk remedies

With traditional methods of treatment, you can combine methods of traditional medicine:

“position” treatment - laying the baby on the tummy, which is recommended to be done before feeding for a few minutes, a flat hard surface is suitable for this;
cabbage leaf and oatmeal compress - porridge is applied to the hernia and covered with cabbage, then additionally fixed with a bandage for several hours;
clay - you need to make a cake and attach it to the navel, remove it when dry, the procedure is performed daily for 2-3 weeks until the hernia decreases in size;
vinegar - gauze is moistened in apple cider vinegar and applied to the defect for several hours, then the skin is wiped dry and lubricated with a moisturizer.

Prevention

Recommendations for the prevention of hernia and its complications:

exclusion of frequent crying and screaming of the child;
timely treatment of pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract;
natural breastfeeding of the child;
balanced nutrition, elimination of constipation and bloating;
therapeutic exercises, swimming, frequent walks with a child;
exclusion of a high load on the abdominal muscles;
regular examination by a pediatrician to detect disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.

When an umbilical hernia has already been diagnosed in a child, it is important for parents to listen to the recommendations and instructions of the attending physician, because the likelihood of non-surgical treatment and the prognosis of surgical removal largely depend on the observance of preventive measures.

When complications occur, there is only one option - hernia repair. After the operation, compliance with the regimen will also be required to exclude recurrence and the development of postoperative abdominal hernia.