And, like many parents, you may think the condition has little to do with children. In fact, hernia repair is the most common surgery performed on children. This protrusion is called a hernia. Hernias look like a bulge or lump. Some babies are born with various small openings in the body that are supposed to close but have not closed yet.
Nearby tissues can squeeze into such an opening and become a hernia.
Sometimes tissues can squeeze through muscle wall openings that are only meant for arteries or other special channels. In other cases, a child suffers a strain or injury that creates a weak spot in a muscle wall. Part of a nearby organ or other tissues can be pushed into the weak spot so that it bulges and becomes a hernia. Hernias in this state are called reducible and are not immediately dangerous to a child. Sometimes tissues become trapped in the opening or pouch and do not retract.