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Umbilical Hernia (UH)

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Umbilicus and Umbilical Cord

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Abstract

Umbilical hernias are one of the most common problems seen by paediatricians. Although the exact incidence is not known, but many predisposing factors are investigated in association with UH, it has been estimated that one of every six children has an umbilical hernia in some tropical area. The first appearance of the hernia is usually within the first few months of life and rarely after 6 months. The term ‘umbilical hernia’ is an ill-defined; it is usually used for the hernia seen in an infant or small child, but UH could be congenital in the umbilical cord itself, or infantile, and the hernia diagnosed in adult is usually paraumbilical but herniation of umbilical cicatrix is not common in adulthood. The clinical course is generally silent; with only protrusion of the umbilical scar during straining, only a few parents report periumbilical discomfort in their children. Spontaneous resolution is the natural history in many occasions, but the use of restrictive appliances such as strapping and trusses frequently aggravates the condition and delays a spontaneous cure. Complications are very rare and are in the form of incarceration if one ever occurs. Considering the high prevalence of umbilical hernia in paediatric population, surgical intervention is only required in cases where hernia is persistent or has progressively enlarged after 2 years. Laparoscopy invented in the last two decades for management of UH especially in recurrent cases and in cases associated with inguinal hernia.

Recently, there were a relatively small number of smartphone apps related to umbilical hernias in view of the worldwide frequency of hernia repair. Greater regulation, transparency of commercial interests and involvement of medical professionals in the content and peer review of healthcare-related apps are required.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pediatric Surgery, Al Azher University Pediatric Surgery, Cairo, Egypt

    Mohamed Fahmy

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  1. Mohamed Fahmy
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Fahmy, M. (2018). Umbilical Hernia (UH). In: Umbilicus and Umbilical Cord. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62383-2_28

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62383-2_28

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-62382-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-62383-2

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