hernia in children????

[craig7]

I think my 4 year old daughter has a hernia.  Anyone know how to tell for sure and anyone know of a way to correct it besides surgery???  She has a large walnut size bump near her hip/thigh joint.  It is very visible when she stands, but disappears in other positions.  If you push on it, it feels like a "swishy" bubble.  She says it tickles, but never hurts.  Thank you for any thoughts you may have.  Laura

[ShabbyChic]

Sounds like a hernia.  My pediatrician was concerned that my younger son had one when he was a few months old (he didn't) and she described exactly what you've said as reason to bring him back in.  I know that a hernia is when part of intestines comes through the muscle wall, and it is pretty serious.  Sorry I don't know of any treatment besides surgery.  Praying for wisdom for you, and for your sweet little girl.

[YoopreMama]

What about hernias in newborns?  My dd had one when she was little (a big baby)...and now our newest (11 pound, 5 week old) guy shows some signs of one by his navel.  I wondering if overeating could be a contributing factor? 

What IS a hernia anyway?

ETA:
Found a good site:
http://wishard.kramesonline.com/3,S,88163

The bowel (intestine) is held inside the abdomen (belly) by a wall of muscle. A hernia occurs when a section of bowel pushes out through a weakness in the muscle. In many cases, this is due to the baby straining (such as during crying, feeding, or a bowel movement). The hernia looks like a bulge under the skin. It can move back into the abdomen through the weak spot in the muscle. So you may not see the bulge all the time.

Which Babies Get Hernias?
Any baby can have a hernia, but they’re most common in:

Preemies, because the abdominal muscle isn’t fully developed yet.

Boys, because it’s easy for a hernia to form in the space where the testicles descend.

Babies with lung disease, because they often strain to breathe.

What’s the Problem?
In many cases, hernias aren’t dangerous. As long as the hernia can move back into the abdomen, it’s usually not a problem. But if the bowel becomes strangulated (stuck in the weak spot), the problem becomes more serious. The abdominal muscle squeezes the bowel, causing swelling. Blood flow to that part of the bowel may be reduced, and that portion of the bowel could rupture or die. In boys, blood supply to a testicle could be reduced, leading to damage or death of the testicle.

Is Treatment Needed?
Not always. An inguinal hernia often requires treatment, but an umbilical hernia might heal by itself. This can take 1 to 2 years. The doctor will keep an eye on it during this time to make sure the hernia doesn’t become strangulated. If a hernia is strangulated, it must be treated right away with surgery. In some cases the doctor may want to operate before the baby goes home from the hospital, even if the hernia isn’t strangulated yet.

What Are the Long-Term Effects?
Once a hernia goes away or is treated, many babies have no lasting problems. However, if a hernia is strangulated and blood supply is cut off, this could cause damage to the bowel or testicles. Talk to the doctor about how your baby is likely to progress.

Signs of a Strangulated Hernia
Watch for the following signs to know if your baby’s hernia is strangulated. If you see any of these signs, alert your baby’s doctor or nurse:

The hernia doesn’t move back into the abdomen

Crying that can’t be consoled (this often means the baby is in pain)

Crying or fussing when you touch the hernia

Redness or blue discoloration in the groin or scrotum

Vomiting

A swollen, round abdomen (a sign that food isn’t passing through the bowel)

[cajundaegoes]

I was an NICU nurse for 13 years and hernias in babies and children are very common. 
A hernia is a weakening in the abdominal wall that causes a pouch to form or a hole to form.  The kind to worry about are inguinal hernias which are in the groin area.  An umbilical hernia (one around the belly button) usually resolves on its own and doctors usually do not repair them.  Inguinal hernias can have the bowel (intestines) fall thru them and "strangulate" the bowel.  That can create a medical emergency but they usually are repaired before that happens. 

Food intake has nothing to do with the formation of a hernia.  There's no real explanation why they occur, it just "happens."

Please don't worry about your baby.  As long as your pediatrician isn't concerned, I wouldn't be either.

God Bless You and your 2 babies!
Susan  

[YoopreMama]

Thank you for your prompt, helpful, and gracious reply, Susan! 

I am relieved to hear that food intake isn't related...I wonder about the straining when crying, though.  Poor lamb was VERY upset the other night w/ DH. 

DD's did heal up--can't remember when. 

I saw something about grunting/squeaking babies w/ these umbilical hernias...any thoughts?  We DO have a grunter/squeaker. 

[YoopreMama]

I forgot to mention that the MW suggested 2 things to "help" encourage the hernia to heal...using a belly band or a quarter...that sounds familiar.  Anyone try these?

Surely there are more people who have dealt w/ these...I'm not overly worried, I just like hearing other experiences. 

[cajundaegoes]

All I know is when a baby grunts or cries the hernia becomes more prominent or noticeable because of the pressure placed on the abdominal wall.

Hope that helps!

Susan

[miamama]

10 month old DS has an inguinal hernia (lower abdomen hernia).  It has been about 5 weeks since it appeared.  A Physician's Asst. saw him soon after, and said not to worry as long as we can still push it back in.  It seemed to be getting better (not popping out as frequently for a week or so, and has been "out" a few times a day for most of this time).
I'm feeling a bit more concerned now, because I think it does bother DS.  He cries when I have to push it back in, and if he is playing and it pops out, then he is fussy until it gets "fixed".  Today he pooped 4 times within 4-5 hours, and seemed quite uncomfortable while doing so.  During the last diaper change, I pushed the hernia in just before closing up his diaper, and right after it went in, he started pooping more.  This makes me think maybe it's affecting his bowel function. 

Just fishing for more experiences/ opinions.  TIA

[boysmama]

A nephew had one of these. The parents discovered it pretty much right away, although it didn't pop out much. It continues to get worse and was surgically corrected at 7- 8 months old. He went from being a fussy baby, never wanting to be on his tummy, and slow development, weak neck, etc  to a cheerful baby that starting developing rapidly. The surgery went well, a minimum of pain, by the second day he was happier and in less pain than before the surgery, even though he was still healing.

Where is the hernia? lower belly? groin or scrotum?
I think you are right to be concerned. The risk is bowel strangulation where the bowel twists either as it pops out or as it is pushed back in. This can stop circulation and cause that little piece of bowel to die, or at least cause blockage where the bowels can no longer move. My personal opinion is that you do NOT want to wait to get him seen again, hopefully by doctor if the PA is not concerned.

[Dixiemom]

I had a hernia as an older  child (I think I was 11) and had to have it operated on.  It is one of the easier operations to do, and I haven't had any more trouble with it.  They do not know what causes them, but it is important to have it corrected and sometimes surgery is the only answer.  Sorry.

But, my son was born with a hernia and for some reason, the kind he had did not alarm his doctor and doesn't seem to give him problems now. 

I think this may be a situation where you do need a doctor's opinion, because some types of hernias can cause problems if they are not treated promptly.  Wish I had a great natural cure for them!

[Jade]

Well, this might not work, but Matthew Wood's The Book of Herbal Wisdom mentions using Lady's Mantle (alchemilla vulgaris) and Shepherd's Purse for treatment of hernias. He claims to have personally seen it work several times, and mentions another case (not one of his) that corrected a double abdominal hernia in less than two months.

For someone really determined to correct a hernia without surgery, it might be worth a try. Here are some other links that were interesting.

http://www.naturalremediesblog.net/2009/11/curing-hernias-without-surgery.html

http://books.google.com/books?id=b5TL_18VwPUC&pg=PA95&lpg=PA95&dq=using+lady's+mantle+for+hernias&source=bl&ots=22E_iBWc17&sig=IjU2j5rYPrG12N6k3ein0Pqg6po&hl=en&ei=s9gfS_nFMsaXtgfGrfCfCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CCkQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=&f=false

[his.silly.wife]

A friend said that she won't let her baby cry for more than 5 minutes because it will cause a hernia.  So I began to research this claim, as I had never heard of this before!

Just thought I'd post what I found...

Umbilical hernias can usually occur in newborn babies but sometimes they may not become noticeable until several weeks or even months after a birth. There are those who believe straining and crying may cause a hernia this is not true however it may make the hernia more noticeable due to increased pressure in the abdomen.

http://www.newborn-babycare.com/Umbilical-Hernia.html

Crying for more than five minutes does not cause a hernia. It is true that in a baby who already has a certain type of hernia, crying for long periods of time can make the hernia pop out more, but it's not the cause of the problem.

http://life.familyeducation.com/baby/safety/42325.html

Two large bands of muscle grow down the center of baby's abdomen and encircle the navel. Sometimes there is an opening between these muscles, and when baby cries or strains the whole navel protrudes, the intestines poke through beneath the skin, and you feel a squishy bulge of intestines around the navel. This is called an umbilical hernia . It may be the size of a golf ball or a fingertip. As the muscles grow, the opening in and around the navel seals, and the hernia disappears. Umbilical hernias are particularly common in African American babies. They do not hurt or harm baby. Above all, don't tape over the hernia. This doesn't speed the healing and may lead to infection. Nearly all heal with only the treatment of time, usually by the first birthday.

http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/child-rearing-and-development/bringing-baby-home/protruding-navel

[smetanka1996]

One of my kids at a very young age (the one that was always constipated due to being scared of the toilet business) had (HAD) a hernia like the one explained above. I was scared of surgery and just prayed for an another option. God lead me to a web site where a man gave a few exercises that strengthen abdomen wall permanently.
Basically it is "scissors"- lying on the floor, hands by your sides, lift your legs 4"-8" of the floor and do a repetition of opening your legs and closing them/opening your legs and overlapping them as you close them. He also recommended laying on a slightly slanted surface (legs higher/head lower so that bowels/hernia can be tacked in while you do the exercises). She just did it lying flat on the floor. She didn't do any heavy lifting (for a child)/ push up type of exercises while doing this hernia/abdomen exercise. He also recommended a few other ones too, but we got by with just one. She is now ten and never had any hernias, even though she continued to held back her bowel movements, and just recently around 10 years of age learned to be regular. Still no hernia. Praise the LORD!!!