Often, young parents have panic when a hernia appears in an infant. Pathology develops in 25% of children. In premature babies, the percentage of umbilical hernia is higher.
The question of how to understand that a newborn’s hernia is easy to find the answer, the main thing is observation, because clearly a hernia in newborns is visible during crying.
Do not raise a panic when identifying symptoms of a hernia in a baby, with timely treatment, it completely goes away. Of course, this treatment will take a lot of time, but the result will certainly be.
The main causes of hernia
It is mistakenly believed that the symptoms of a hernia in a newborn appear due to improper circumcision of the umbilical cord or the clamping of the umbilical cord on it – but this does not affect the development of pathology. The main thing is to understand why a newborn has a hernia.
A hernia in a newborn can develop against a background of certain factors both in the prenatal period and after birth:
- complicated pregnancy;
- prematurity of the fetus;
- low birth weight;
- genetic susceptibility to muscle weakness;
- congenital malformation of connective tissue;
- rickets;
- flatulence;
- constipation
- frequent and prolonged crying of the baby;
- severe and frequent coughing;
- pathology of the anterior abdominal wall.
Factors affecting the pathogenesis of the disease
Much depends on the intrauterine development of the fetus, which can be affected by the nutrition of the mother. After all, fetal tissues are formed due to proper nutrition, and the use of strong coffee, a large amount of spicy and smoked food, alcohol, as well as smoking lead to the formation of baby’s tissues soft and without tone. This subsequently leads to the formation of umbilical hernia in babies.
Symptoms
How to determine the signs of a hernia in a newborn? She can be noticed not only by the doctor, but also the parents of the baby. On the tummy, you can see the protrusion of the navel during crying, screaming or sipping the child. Umbilical hernia externally manifests itself as an oval or round bulge. This protrusion is easily adjusted and does not cause the child unnecessary anxiety. The boundaries of the protrusion depend on the size of the umbilical ring.
After the appearance of a hernia in the first months, its size can imperceptibly increase. With a large hernia in the area of the navel, there is always a swelling, which, when the muscles of the abdomen are strained, increases in size.
Over time, the size of the hernia may become larger. When pressing with a finger on the navel – the finger penetrates into the abdominal cavity, which indicates the presence of an umbilical hernia.
More often this pathology is recognized by the pediatrician and pediatric surgeon during the planned passage of the commission. In parallel with umbilical hernia due to weak muscles of the anterior abdominal wall, discrepancy between the rectus abdominis is recognized.
The feces during a hernia in an infant do not change, the color may change from the food taken.
There is a hernia of the white line of the abdomen in newborns, which in babies is considered a congenital pathology. Children with such a hernia are tearful, and its long development can lead to infringement, which is dangerous not only for the health of the child, but also for his life.
Congenital pathologies include spinal cord and cerebral hernia in newborns, testicular hernia in infants, cranial hernia in newborns.
Particular attention and observation requires hernia in the testicles of the infant. Read more about inguinal hernia in newborns →
Diagnostics
In order for the diagnosis to be correctly made, you need to contact a pediatrician who, when palpating the abdomen, can determine if there is an umbilical hernia. If there is a suspicion of a restrained hernia, it is necessary to perform an ultrasound scan, which can be performed even for infants.
It is also necessary to collect an anamnesis from the words of the mother of the child, which will help determine the factors in the formation of umbilical hernia.
If the cause is constipation and colic, then it is necessary to do a UAC, fecal analysis, caprogram, culture for dysbiosis.
Conservative and surgical treatment
Hernia in some cases can spontaneously close. But if the symptoms of a hernia in infants persist for more than 5 months, even after conservative treatment, it is necessary to discuss with the surgeon the likelihood of surgery.
Conservative methods of treatment include:
- general massage;
- massage of the abdomen;
- frequent laying of the baby on the stomach;
- Healing Fitness.
Physiotherapy exercises and general massage are done by a masseur or doctor in exercise therapy.
Tummy massage is presented as stroking clockwise, which parents must perform for the baby before each meal, and then you need to put it on the tummy for 10 minutes.
The spread should be on a hard surface (changing table), but the child should not be left alone, as he may fall. With this laying out it is very easy to massage, stroking the back, arms and legs. This method can help with a small hernia.
You can use a hernia patch for newborns. Such a bandage with a strip of 4 cm is applied for 10 days around the abdomen. If after this period the hernia does not go away, the dressing is allowed to be applied for another 10 days.
If you use such a bandage three times for 10 days, it becomes possible to get rid of a hernia. But this method is not suitable for everyone, because due to the patch there may be irritation of the sensitive skin of the newborn.
In the question of how to treat a hernia in a newborn child, resort to the use of alternative methods.
Alternative treatment of hernia of the newborn is carried out:
- Using clay. A clay is created from the clay, which is wrapped in a bandage and heated to body temperature, then it must be placed in the area of the hernia and fixed with a band-aid. As soon as the clay begins to dry, the cake is removed. The next day, the procedure must be repeated. With a favorable outcome, after a two-time procedure, the hernia brightens, and after three weeks it leaves.
- Using garlic. Grated garlic is placed on the area of the hernia and after a few hours the hernia disappears. But this method can cause burns on sensitive baby skin. And then you have to treat the burn itself.
- Using an old copper nickel. The coin is wiped and wrapped in tissue, then placed on a hernia and fixed with a band-aid. Either the coin is heated in the hands, and then with the help of it it is taken across the tummy, sometimes stopping at the area of the hernia.
Some parents say that sulfur from hernia for newborns is an effective remedy. It is ordered at the pharmacy and taken internally.
Complications
The most unpleasant and dangerous complication is an infringement of the umbilical hernia. In newborns, this complication appears very rarely, but you need to know about it. The appearance of the following symptoms should alert young parents:
- baby anxiety;
- heavy crying;
- refusal of food;
- redness or pallor of the integument in the hernia;
- bulge seal;
- the appearance of vomiting in a baby.
When a strangulated hernia appears, surgical treatment is immediately required. You can not hesitate, because necrosis (necrosis) of tissues can occur, which leads to irreversible dire consequences.
Hernia prevention in newborns
First of all, it is necessary to avoid excessive straining of the child, and for this it is necessary to prevent the occurrence of constipation and bloating.
With excessive gas formation, they will help the baby Espumisan, Baby Kalm, Bobotik, Plantex, Sub-Simplex, dill water. With frequent constipation, Dufalac, Glycerin suppositories, Microlax (microclysters) are used.
You also need to constantly strengthen the abdominal muscles in the newborn – spread it more often on the tummy.
Better to prevent ailment than to cure. And for this you need to constantly do gymnastics with the child, spread on the tummy. If nevertheless it was not possible to prevent the appearance of pathology, it is necessary to follow all the recommendations of the doctor and not to self-medicate. Knowing how to determine a hernia in a baby, parents will be able to take action in time.
All the described signs of a hernia are relevant for newborn boys and girls – the symptoms do not depend on the gender of the child.
