Umbilical hernia in children is a fairly common occurrence, from which every fifth child suffers (according to statistics). Sometimes in newborns there is a significant protrusion in the abdomen. This is exactly what the pathology under consideration looks like. Most parents immediately start to panic, not understanding the problem. Moms and dads often require immediate surgery. Umbilical hernia in children does not always pose a threat to the health of the baby. Moreover, surgical intervention for a newborn baby will definitely not benefit. Doctors, depending on the appearance of the pathology, offer to wait 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, consult a doctor first, and only then take action.
Terminology
Umbilical hernia in children according to ICD 10 (international classifier of diseases) has a code K42, which also includes intestinal obstruction. As you know, after the baby is born, the umbilical cord is cut off, and a wound is formed in this place, which heals over time. To successfully complete the process, mom should process it every day in the morning and evening. Usually within a month, the wound heals, and a navel is formed.
In some situations, defects appear in this place associated with congenital or acquired developmental disorders. And therefore, after some time, the baby develops 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 child’s still not formed organism is rather weak, especially in the place of the umbilical cord. With crying, coughing and other actions, additional burden 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 the appearance
We have already noted that the disease can be both congenital and acquired. Defects can also occur after bandaging the umbilical cord. In most cases, the hernia disappears on its own as soon as the abdominal muscles get stronger, but sometimes pathology occurs in preschoolers and school-age children.
Umbilical hernia in infants directly indicates a weak 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, as well as those developed during the presence of the fetus in the womb. This situation occurs if the mother, while wearing the baby, did not eat properly, she lacked vitamins and minerals. In addition, past diseases 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 malfunction of the digestive system. Various diseases (such as protein deficiency or rickets) can cause umbilical hernia in children.
Newborns have such a problem - they are constantly tormented by colic and gas. As a result, constipation appears, which puts additional pressure on the peritoneum. Therefore, the umbilical ring will heal longer than usual. The reason must be identified first, so that later it is easier to choose therapy.
Symptoms of umbilical hernia in children
Pathology is quite simple to determine, because some violations are noticeable during the first visual examination. The main symptom of an ailment is a protrusion in the form of a ball over the navel. The size of the neoplasm varies from one to ten centimeters. With light pressure, the ball will settle into the peritoneum, and then crawl out. If the umbilical ring is small, changes are visible only with tension in the abdominal muscles. It is also worth paying attention to the fact that the color changes in this place of the body.
Among the symptoms of umbilical hernia in children, bloating and colic can be distinguished. A child who has an ailment suffers these symptoms much more painfully. In addition, children with pathology are meteorological. This means that they react sharply to changing weather conditions: they are capricious, become lethargic and sleepy.
Only a qualified surgeon can determine the presence of a hernia. He also prescribes the method and time for the treatment of pathology. Sometimes the "skin navel" is taken for the ailment in question, because outwardly they are very similar. Moreover, we can say 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 the umbilical hernia looks like in a child (see photo below).
Diagnostic measures
As you know, a visual examination of the child is carried out by a pediatrician. If a disease is suspected, the doctor sends the mother and baby to a specialist with a narrower profile, in our case, this is a surgeon. The latter can accurately determine the pathology, talk about 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 it, because the peritoneum is strongly protruding. However, the doctor usually prescribes additional tests to confirm the diagnosis. The most effective is an ultrasound examination of the internal organs, a clinical blood test, as well as an x-ray examination of the abdominal cavity.
Based on the results of laboratory measures and a 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 decide on the need for umbilical hernia surgery in children. Usually, the doctor does not see the need to hospitalize the child, but the baby should be constantly under the supervision of the attending physician.
Treatment methods
Most often, the treatment method 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 quite small, does not increase in size and does not cause the baby discomfort. Usually, pathology is treated in even simpler ways. For example, massage and gymnastics are perfect for this purpose.
Treatment of umbilical hernia in children can be limited to medications. There are special medications that are aimed at strengthening the walls of the abdomen, which subsequently relieves 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 at this time the effect was not achieved, doctors think about the operation.
Massage
It is worth noting that only high-quality complex therapy will help save the child from this ailment. Massage is allowed to be done a week after wound healing. First, mom needs to take the baby to a specialist. In the future, she will be able to do the necessary work herself, you only need to understand the principle.
At home, you can do massage no worse than a professional. Before proceeding with the action, it is necessary to straighten the protrusion, carefully glue this place with a band-aid. So the hernia will not fall out during the session. The movements of the massage therapist should be smooth and light, in no case should you press on the tummy. First you just need to stroke the navel in one direction, then the other. Then you can begin to massage the oblique muscles of the abdominal cavity to strengthen them. Here you need to increase the intensity of movements, then switch to stroking again. Next, apply the technique of light tingling.
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. Moms' feedback on this is pretty positive. Massage will actually give effect if you do it daily.
Gymnastics
Most kids are quite active, so doing exercises for them is just a joy. For the smallest use the following tasks:
- Before each feeding, put the baby on the tummy for several 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).
- From the supine position, they lift the children by the arms, holding the back, the head and legs should calmly hang, the baby will need to relax.
- If possible, buy a big ball. You can put the child on this ball on the back, you need to roll it, holding the baby by the legs.
Older children undergo a full course of physiotherapy and gymnastics. These measures strengthen the abdominal cavity, which speeds up the healing process. Treatment of umbilical hernia in children without gymnastics is simply not possible, therefore, the doctor’s recommendations on this subject should be taken seriously.
Bandage and plasters
In addition to massage and physiotherapy exercises, some parents use a special patch. It is easy to guess that his goal is to eliminate the umbilical hernia. A bandage and a patch should be used only after wound healing. The main thing is to stick it correctly. This must be done in such a way that a fold is formed. The wearing time for the patch is ten days, the course should be repeated a couple of times with small interruptions.
When choosing a material, you need to carefully look. 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. A bandage is put on if it is necessary to prevent infringement of a hernia. When you wear this device, the walls of the abdominal cavity are strengthened, and the ring is reduced. All of the factors described will sooner or later lead to a complete recovery.
Surgical intervention
The child has an umbilical hernia: what to do? First you just need to calm down and visit a pediatrician. Sometimes there are situations when the operation becomes inevitable. Usually, waiting and conservative treatment is given for about three years. If the pathology has not been eliminated during this period, surgery is required. Surgeons need to discuss all the nuances with their parents, special attention should be paid to girls. After all, they are future mothers, and if you ignore the symptoms and do not engage in treatment, the hernia can grow to unrealistic sizes.
Removal of umbilical hernia in children is as follows: the surgeon adjusts the abdominal cavity and sutures the defect. If the operation was performed by a qualified doctor, relapse is unlikely. Despite the apparent lightness, this intervention must be taken seriously. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the child is under anesthesia, and caution needs to be highlighted.
What do not need to do?
In the modern world there are still such people who are in no hurry to lead their child to the doctor, but try to self-medicate. Of course, here you can not do without folk recipes, the effectiveness of which has not yet been proven, and it is not known whether it will ever be proved.
Consider actions that you definitely can’t do:
- 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 hernia, and it is healed through a 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 sorceresses, psychics, etc. Around a huge number of charlatans who are sure to come up with some kind of conspiracy to suck out money. Umbilical hernia is removed by biting. Sorceresses sometimes bite hernial gates with their teeth. Then it is not surprising that there will be wound and inflammation in this place, and later a scar will be added. It cannot be argued that this method does not work. However, isn’t it easier to immediately turn to a specialist for help, and not rely on witches who can only aggravate the situation.
Prevention
From this article we learned what the umbilical hernia looks like in a child, the reasons for its appearance and treatment methods. In order to never resort to the latter, it is necessary to follow the rules of prevention. Consider a few effective recommendations:
- if possible, leave breastfeeding for a long time, because milk is the prevention of constipation and bloating;
- a nursing mother should review her diet and not eat harmful foods;
- mother must eat cereals, vegetables, fruits and herbs;
- breastfeeding is sometimes impossible, then the attending physician selects the right mixture;
- protect your baby from colds, do not allow loud crying, because the abdominal muscles tighten, and the chance of an umbilical hernia increases;
- massage and gymnastics will help strengthen the abdominal muscles of the abs.
One of the most effective methods of prevention lies in developing the right diet. Dysbacteriosis should not be allowed. With this pathology, the risk of umbilical hernia significantly increases. You need to eliminate all the symptoms of the disease, and then you can completely cure the child in a short time.
Parents should ensure that the tummy does not exert much strain. 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 medical gymnastics, because they are simply invaluable for the treatment.