TP7.2.6 Frequency of Obstructed Inguinal Hernia in Infants

Inguinal hernia in children is the result of the failure of obliteration of processus vaginalis or weakness of the abdominal wall. The incidence of inguinal hernia ranges from 0.8-5%. It is more common in preterm babies with an incidence of up to 30%.There is disagreement concerning the management of inguinal hernia in infants worldwide with few in favor of early repair of the hernia due to fear of incarceration while some are against it. This study was conducted to determine the frequency of intestinal obstruction in infants with an inguinal hernia for the development of a proper protocol for the management of inguinal hernias. Methods A total of 112 patients were included in the study. The patient’s gender and age were recorded. The presence of hernia was confirmed clinically and by performing an ultrasound. All the relevant data was recorded in a pre-designed printed proforma. Results In this study, 112 children were included. 73% of children were in the age between 1-6 months and 27% children were in age between 7-12 months. The mean age was 5 months ±5.87. Male children were 86% and female children were 14%. An obstructed inguinal hernia was observed in 11% of children while 89% of children didn’t have obstructed inguinal hernia. Conclusion Our study concludes that the frequency of incarcerated inguinal hernia was 11% in infants mostly occurring at a younger age and in male children.