Is There a Bump in the Child's Stomach? Here's What Parents Need to Know about Hernia

Hernia in children is one of the medical conditions that are quite often encountered and often cause concern for parents. This condition is usually seen as a bulge in the child's stomach or navel, especially when they cry, cough, or squeeze.

Many parents panic when they find this lump and are worried about the risk of complications. However, not all hernias require immediate medical action. This depends on the type and severity.

"If it is already open, it is very urgent to be handled immediately. But there are also those who are still closed. If it is still closed, usually the worrying complications rarely occur," explained dr. Karmile, Sp. B.A, Pediatric Surgeon at Pondok Indah Hospital when met in Menteng area, Jakarta on Thursday, December 18, 2025.

In terms of terminology, the word hernia comes from the Greek Hernios which means a shoot or branch of a tree. Medically, a hernia is a protrusion of part or all of an organ/tissue through the wall of a cavity due to weakness of the wall or failure of the closure process.

In children, hernias are generally congenital because there is a small gap in the abdominal wall that has not closed completely. For example, inguinal hernias occur due to the failure of the closure of the vaginalis process. Then umbilical hernias occur due to the failure of the closure of the abdominal wall in the navel area.

Hernia in children is usually visible when the child cries, coughs, or gasps, and can go back to shrinking when the child is calm.

"If the hernia is in the navel, as long as there are no signs of complications, it is usually not dangerous," explained dr. Karmile.

Some hernias can close on their own without immediate medical action.

Many parents worry that crying too hard or for too long can cause a hernia.

"It's not because crying makes the child have a hernia. But because crying, the hernia protrusion is visible. The hole in the abdominal wall has been there since birth," said Dr. Karmile.

In addition, genetic factors also play a role in this.

"If the parents have ever had a hernia, their children are also at risk. But this is not 100 percent," said Dr. Karmile.

The main complication of hernia is the pinching of organs inside the protrusion which can interfere with blood flow and organ function. However, for hernia in the navel, the incidence of pinching is very rare.

"The important thing is that parents are aware of the signs of a hernia, such as fussy children, vomiting, red lumps, or lumps that can't go back in," explained dr. Karmile.

Currently, laparoscopy is the method of choice because of its minimally invasive nature. This procedure allows doctors to see internal structures clearly and close the hernia gap through a small incision.

"With laparoscopy, we do not cut or use scissors inside. Just insert a needle to tie. Unlike open surgery," explained dr. Karmile.

The advantages of laparoscopy include:

- More clear visualization of organs, minimizing the risk of injury.

- Smaller surgical wounds, reducing tissue trauma.

- Recovery is faster than open surgery.

Regarding the risk of sperm duct injury, Dr. Karmile added, "Cases of sperm duct injury have so far only been reported in open surgery, never in laparoscopy. If it happens, repairs can be done immediately, although long-term evaluation is still needed."