Inguinal Hernia in Children

Many parents also ignore the problem of small intestinal gas in their children. They mistakenly believe that the small wave of flatulence in the "big spleen" is retracted, which means that the problem of small intestinal gas has healed on its own. Therefore, they do not seek medical treatment early. They regret it later when the small intestine becomes stuck and causes intestinal necrosis. A local study even showed that there were children in Hong Kong who had to have their testicles and ovaries removed due to intestinal gas necrosis.

When the fetus develops in the mother's body, it has an open lumen. For boys, the lumen extends from the abdominal cavity to the groin (the "great spleen") to the scrotum. For girls, the lumen extends from the abdominal cavity to the labia majora. Under normal circumstances, the lumen of a baby will be closed after birth, but some babies, such as premature babies, may have unsealed gaps. When the intestines or ovaries in the abdomen enter the groin through the lumen, a hernia will form, which is the so-called "small intestinal gas".

The most common symptom of small intestinal gas is that in young children, the "big spleen" is flatulent and makes a small wave. Boys may also have one side of their scrotum swelled. When crying or having a hard stool, the small wave will swell greatly. However, sometimes the small wave will shrink when the child stops crying or falls asleep due to exhaustion. Zhang Chengde said that many parents mistakenly believe that the disappearance of small intestinal gas waves means that they will recover on their own. Also, because many young children are currently cared for by foreign domestic workers, they may not know how to identify the symptoms of small intestinal gas, so the sick children delay seeking medical treatment, leading to serious consequences.

If you find that your child suddenly cries non-stop, or even cries until he or she vomits, accompanied by swelling in the groin, it is best to seek medical attention immediately. You can also take photos to help the doctor diagnose the disease when seeking medical treatment, especially if the child is too young and does not know how to express himself. Small intestinal gas will not heal on its own and must be treated surgically. In most cases, minimally invasive surgery can be used to repair the lumen gap. At the same time, check whether there is a gap in the lumen on the other side to avoid discovering that there is small intestinal gas on the other side after surgery.