At birth, the midwife cuts the umbilical cord that connects the child to the mother, after which her vessels gradually begin to close. At the site of the umbilical ring, through which the umbilical cord previously passed, the skin is tightened, covered with a scar and a navel is formed. Due to any disruption in the development, congenital or acquired nature, there may be small defects in the navel that contribute to the development of a hernia. Umbilical hernia in children - this is one of the most common diagnoses, which is characterized by protrusion in the navel area of the contents of the abdominal cavity. This pathology occurs, as a rule, in newborns in the first month of life, and most often in premature infants.
Umbilical hernia in children - causes
Most often, the umbilical hernia is formed as a result of the features of the anatomical structure of the baby's body. Many newborn children are underdeveloped connective tissue - defects in the anterior abdominal wall, weakness of the umbilical ring. Against this background, due to prolonged intra-abdominal pressure, which can be caused by constipation, severe coughing or prolonged crying of the baby, a hernial protrusion arises.
Signs of the manifestation of umbilical hernia in children
It should be noted that the symptoms of umbilical hernia may appear in children, both immediately after birth, and after the first few weeks of life. In some cases, the hernia is so small that without a proper examination by a pediatric surgeon, it becomes noticeable by parents only closer to the age of one year of the child. But it happens that the round protrusion in the navel is determined immediately after birth, and in a calm state it decreases noticeably or completely recovers into the abdominal cavity. If you press the finger gently on the bulge, it freely enters the abdominal cavity with a gurgling sound. In rare cases, there may be a pain syndrome, the appearance of which depends on the shape of the umbilical hernia.
Treatment of umbilical hernia in children
Often, the resulting umbilical hernia in an infant passes by 3 years. To do this, as a conservative treatment, parents need to carry out positional therapy - lay the baby on the stomach on a flat hard surface for 2-3 minutes to 15 times a day. Secondly, to strengthen the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall, you should take advantage of the services of a professional masseur, as well as a coach of physiotherapy. In this case, the child is recommended temporary wearing an umbilical bandage or a bandage bandage. In addition, it is necessary to monitor the correct nutrition of the baby, to fight with colic and to prevent the child from crying often.
Removal of the umbilical hernia in children under the age of 3 years is carried out only if the size of the hernial protrusion is large enough and without a tendency to improve. Also, surgical treatment is necessary with a stable increase in the umbilical ring after 3 years. The operation is performed under general anesthesia in a hospital.
In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to the umbilical hernia arising in children after 2-3 years of age. As a rule, they are formed due to defects in the development of the connective layer of the abdominal wall in the navel. Most often, such hernias do not lend themselves to conservative therapy, so routine surgical treatment is prescribed.