Visit our foundation to give a gift.
 View Locations Near Me
Main Campus – Hartford
Connecticut Children’s – Waterbury
Urgent Care – Farmington
Specialty Care Center – Danbury
Connecticut Children’s Surgery Center at FarmingtonÂ
Specialty Care Center – Fairfield
Search All LocationsÂ
Find a doctorÂ
Contact Us Â
Search SpecialtiesÂ
Find A DoctorÂ
Request an Appointment
Locations
Amenities and Services
Who’s Who on Care Team
Getting Ready for Surgery
What to Expect—Picture Stories
Disney Initiative
Pay a Bill
Understanding the Different Fees
Pricing Transparency and Estimates
Child Life
Raytheon Technologies Family Resource Center
Family Advisory Council
Transition Programs
Advocacy
Legal Advocacy: Benefits, Education, Housing
Electronic Health Records
MyChart
Share Your Story
Pay a BillÂ
Login to MyChartÂ
Specialty Referrals
Clinical Support Services Referrals
Inpatient Referrals
ED/Transport Referrals
About the Network
Join the Network
Graduate Medical Education
Continuing Medical Education
MOC/Practice Quality Improvement
Educating Practices in the Community (EPIC)
For Nurses
Learning & Performance
Research
Resources
CLASP/Referral Guidelines
Meet our Physician Relations Team
Request Medical Records
Join our Referring Provider Advisory Board
View our Physician Callback Standards
Read & Subscribe to Medical NewsÂ
Register for Email Updates
Update Your Practice Information
Refer a Patient Â
Contact OneCall Â
Find and Print Health Info Â
Health Information For Parents
Hernias happen when part of an organ or tissue in the body (such as a loop of intestine) pushes through an opening or weak spot in a muscle wall. It can push into a space where it doesn’t belong. This causes a bulge or lump.
Hernias are fairly common in kids. Babies, especially preemies, can be born with them.
Some babies are born with small openings inside the body that will close at some point. Nearby tissues can squeeze into such openings and become hernias. Unlike hernias seen in adults, these areas are not always considered a weakness in the muscle wall, but a normal area that has not yet closed.
Sometimes tissues can squeeze through muscle wall openings that are only meant for arteries or other tissues. In other cases, strains or injuries create a weak spot in the muscle wall. Then, part of a nearby organ can push into the weak spot so that it bulges and becomes a hernia.
Hernia repair is the one of the most common surgeries kids have. It’s important to know the signs of a hernia so your child gets the right medical care.
There are different types of hernias, and each needs different levels of medical care.
Most hernias in kids are either inguinal hernias in the groin area or umbilical hernias in the belly-button area.
An inguinal hernia happens when part of the intestines pushes through an opening in the lower part of the abdomen called the inguinal (IN-gwuh-nul) canal. Instead of closing tightly, the canal leaves a space for the intestines to slide into.
Doctors fix inguinal hernias with surgery.
An umbilical hernia happens when part of a child’s intestines bulges through the abdominal wall inside the belly button. It shows up as a bump under the belly button. The hernia isn’t painful and most don’t cause any problems.
Most umbilical (um-BILL-ih-kul) hernias closes up on their own by the time the child turns 4 or 5. If a hernia doesn’t go away by then or causes problems, doctors may recommend surgery.
An epigastric hernia is when part of the intestines pushes through the abdominal muscles between the belly button and the chest.
Many epigastric (eh-pih-GAS-trik) hernias are small, cause no symptoms, and don’t need treatment. Larger ones that do cause symptoms won’t heal on their own, but surgery can fix the problem.
Other types of hernias — like hiatal hernias, femoral hernias, and incisional hernias — usually happen in older people, not kids.
An inguinal hernia happens when part of the intestines pushes through an opening in the lower part of the abdomen. Doctors fix these hernias with surgery.
An umbilical hernia shows up as a bump under the belly button. If a hernia doesn’t go away by age 4 or 5 or causes problems, doctors may recommend surgery.
An epigastric hernia is when part of the intestines pushes through the abdominal muscles between the belly button and the chest. Many are small, cause no symptoms, and don’t need treatment.
By the time you hold your new baby for the first time, you’ve probably chosen your little one’s doctor. Learn about your newborn’s medical care.
Shortly before birth, a boy’s testicles usually descend into the scrotum. When a testicle doesn’t make the move, this is called cryptorchidism, or undescended testicles.
Find out the answer to this personal question!
A hernia is an opening or weakness in the wall of a muscle, tissue, or membrane that normally holds an organ in place. Learning to prevent hernias isn’t hard to do – check out these tips.
Find out what the experts have to say.
If you’re a guy, you may be wondering why the doctor needs to do a testicular exam. Find out in this article.
Good preparation can help your child feel less anxious about getting surgery. Kids of all ages cope much better if they have an idea of what’s going to happen and why.
Premature infants, known as preemies, come into the world earlier than full-term infants. They have many special needs that make their care different from other babies.