Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 30, 2026
Application of a New Mesh Fixation Method in Laparoscopic Incisional Hernia Repair
Published on: December 23, 2022
OBSTRUCTED INGUINAL HERNIA IN CHILDREN: CASE-CONTROLLED APPROACH TO EVALUATE THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC
T A Lawal1, K I Egbuchulem1, A E Ajao1
1Department of Surgery, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Insights
Younger age at presentation is a key predictor of obstructed inguinal hernia in children. This finding is crucial for timely intervention and reducing morbidity in developing countries.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Clinical Epidemiology
Background:
- Obstructed inguinal hernia in children leads to high morbidity in developing nations due to delayed care.
- Predictive models for disease occurrence are lacking, hindering efforts to reduce waiting times for herniotomy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between socio-demographic factors and the occurrence of obstructed inguinal hernia in pediatric patients.
- To identify predictors for obstructed inguinal hernia in children.
Main Methods:
- A prospective case-controlled study was conducted.
- 81 children with inguinal hernia (27 obstructed, 54 non-obstructed) were recruited from a tertiary hospital.
- Data on demographics, clinical presentation, and parental socio-economic factors were collected and analyzed.
Main Results:
- Infants were significantly more likely to develop obstruction (OR=3.33, p=0.020).
- The mean age at presentation was lower for obstructed cases (13.7 months) compared to non-obstructed cases (32.0 months, p=0.016).
- No significant differences were found in gender, parental religion, tribe, social status, or affected side.
Conclusions:
- Age at presentation is a significant socio-demographic predictor of obstructed inguinal hernia in children.
- Younger age is associated with a higher risk of obstruction.
- This finding can aid in early identification and management of pediatric inguinal hernias.
Background:
Obstructed inguinal hernia in children is associated with high morbidity in developing countries due to delay in accessing care. Attempts made to reduce waiting time to herniotomy are not backed by a predictive model of disease occurrence and modeling obstructed inguinal hernia implies knowledge of factors associated with this complication.
Aim & Objectives:
To determine the relationship between socio-demographic variables and obstructed inguinal hernia in children.
Design:
Case controlled.
Setting:
Paediatric surgery unit of a tertiary hospital.
Materials And Methods:
The study was prospective - all children presenting with obstructed inguinal hernia at University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria between May 2009 and April 2014 were studied. For each case, two children with non-obstructed inguinal hernia were recruited consecutively as controls. Their demographics, clinical features, management and outcomes were obtained including the socio-demographic attributes of the parents. The data obtained were computed using SPSS; the p-value for significance was set at < 0.05.
Results:
A total of 81 consecutive patients (27 with obstructed inguinal hernia and 54 with non-obstructed inguinal hernia) were studied; they were aged between 2 weeks and 13 years with a mean of 25.9 ± 3.8 months. There were no differences between cases and controls based on gender, parents' religion, tribe, social status and side affected (p > 0.05). The mean age at presentation was 13.7 ± 5.6 months in the obstructed inguinal hernia vs. 32.0 ± 4.8 months in the non-obstructed inguinal hernia groups (p = 0.016). The duration of groin swelling before presentation was not significantly different (30.0 ± 7.7 vs. 28.3 ± 6.4 months, p = 0.893). Infants were three times more likely than older children to develop obstruction (OR = 3.33, CI: 1.20, 9.09, p = 0.020).
Conclusion:
The age at presentation is the significant socio-demographic variable in this study that could predict obstruction in healthy children with inguinal hernia delivered at term.
