Pediatric hernia

　　The causes of infantile hernia are mainly the following two kinds:

　　1. Congenital factors

　　The incidence of infantile hernia in boys is much higher than that in girls, mainly because the testes of boys descend through the inguinal canal into the scrotum just before birth, followed by the descending peritoneum forming a processus vaginalis. If the processus vaginalis does not close or does not close completely after birth, it will become a larger cavity, and the abdominal contents will protrude from here to the surface, forming a hernia. Because the right testicle descends slightly later than the left, the closure of the processus vaginalis is also later, so there are more right inguinal hernias. Infantile hernia can also occur due to insufficient development, that is, some children have an imperfect or thin abdominal wall membrane, causing organs to easily break through the film and protrude outward to form a hernia.

　　2. Acquired factors

　　The acquired factors of infantile hernia mainly refer to the increase in intra-abdominal pressure due to excessive or forceful actions such as coughing, constipation, or crying, causing the abdominal wall membrane to be damaged and organs to protrude outward, thus forming a hernia.

　　Infants can be affected by the compression of hernia, which may affect the normal development of the testes. Moreover, the intestinal tract or omentum in the hernia sac is prone to compression or collision, causing inflammatory swelling, making it difficult to reduce the hernia, leading to hernia incarceration, as well as dangerous conditions such as intestinal obstruction, intestinal necrosis, and severe abdominal pain.

　　Infantile hernia may occur several days, months, or years after birth. Usually, when a child is crying, exercising vigorously, or having dry stools, there will be a bulging mass in the inguinal region, which sometimes extends to the scrotum or labia. The mass will disappear spontaneously when lying flat or pressing with the hand. Once the hernia mass becomes incarcerated (the hernia mass cannot be reduced), symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fever, loss of appetite, or crying and restlessness may occur. In cases where the incarceration lasts for a long time, the skin may become red and swollen.

　　Since hernia can occur during infancy, it is necessary to pay attention to observing the inguinal region or scrotum of the child at this time, looking for any intermittent masses. In case of any doubts, it is necessary to consult a doctor in a timely manner. Although more boys are prone to hernia, girls can also develop hernia. One should be more vigilant about girls' hernia because there is often a risk of ovary or fallopian tube entering the hernia sac. Do not wrap the child's abdomen too tightly during infancy to avoid increasing intra-abdominal pressure. Do not let the child stand too early to avoid the descent of the intestinal tract forming an inguinal hernia. Eat more easily digestible and high-fiber foods to keep the bowels regular. When the child has dry stools, take measures to relieve constipation instead of forcing the child to defecate. Do not let the child cough loudly. Children with cough should take cough medicine under the guidance of a doctor. Avoid loud crying in children to prevent increased abdominal pressure.

　　Groin hernia is prone to occur in infants under one year old. If an attack occurs, there will be a bulging mass in the inguinal region, which is easy to discover with a little alertness. If an infant cries continuously for no apparent reason, has severe vomiting, fever, intestinal obstruction, or bloody stools, it should be highly alert, and it is necessary to consider the possibility of infantile hernia with incarceration.

　　Parents must choose Qi-tonifying foods that are not too cold and not easy to dissipate Qi for children with hernia, such as spinach, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, mushrooms, lotus root, bluefish, silver carp, apples, grapes, peaches, etc. Eat more high-fiber diets, including grains and bran. It is not advisable to eat foods such as mung beans, cabbage, soybean sprouts, radish, and turnips. Fruits such as oranges and pears, and greasy fried foods such as potato chips and shrimp sticks should also not be eaten. Eat less food that can cause constipation and abdominal bloating (especially cooked eggs, sweet potatoes, peanuts, beans, beer, carbonated beverages, etc.).

　　Hernia disease in children not only seriously affects the daily life of patients but also, if left untreated for a long time, can trigger other diseases, so it should be treated actively. The treatment methods are as follows:
　　Hernia belt treatment can be chosen within 1-15 days of onset. For infants, hernia belt treatment can still be considered within one month. If the condition is not too serious, about 90% of infants can be cured using this method, and about 70% of adults can be cured.
　　Most patients should consider radical treatment, but it is also very beneficial to use a hernia belt in a timely manner before receiving radical treatment. One, it can prevent the disease from progressing further, and two, it can effectively prevent the occurrence of acute and critical complications such as hernia incarceration and intestinal obstruction.
　　For children with hernia, they should try to avoid and reduce crying, coughing, constipation, anger, and strenuous exercise.
　　For patients with hernia, they should pay attention to rest. When the hernia mass falls, gently push it back into the abdominal cavity with your hand.
　　For patients with hernia, they should try to reduce running and prolonged standing or squatting, and pay attention to lying down and resting in time.
　　For patients with hernia, it is appropriate to increase nutrition, and they can eat some foods with the effect of tonifying Qi, such as beans, yam, chicken, eggs, fish, and meat.
　　For slightly older children with hernia, appropriate exercise should be done to enhance physical fitness. In addition to a few infants with hernia, most inguinal hernias cannot heal spontaneously. As the condition progresses, the hernia mass gradually increases, making treatment more difficult, and it is easy for inguinal hernias to occur incarcerated (the hernia mass is trapped and cannot be retracted) and strangulated, even posing a risk to the patient's life safety. Therefore, except for a few special cases, children with hernia should receive thorough treatment as soon as possible.