Question
My son is five years old, and on July 1st, I noticed a swelling in his right inguinal groove. When I pressed on the swelling, he said it didn’t hurt. The initial diagnosis at the local hospital was pediatric hernia, and the swelling can be pushed back in. How should I treat my child’s condition?
Answer
Children can have congenital and acquired hernias. The fundamental cause of congenital hernias is incomplete closure. When children cry or are upset, abdominal pressure increases, causing small intestinal appendages to protrude through the skin and form a hernia. Most children’s hernias do not heal naturally. Very few children with mild symptoms have a hernia that occurs only once every 20 months and can heal naturally. Generally speaking, children with hernias need treatment. The best course of action is surgical treatment.