INCIDENCE OF CONTRALATERAL INGUINAL-HERNIAS IN BABIES AND CHILDREN

Inguinal hernia is a frequent surgical disease during infancy, occurin g in 1 to 2% of all mature newborns and rise up to 30% of all prematur e babies. In 9.5% a contralateral hernia is found after unilateral ope ration. In our own patients this rate was 5.6%. The development of a c ontralateral hernia was significantly more often found in boys than in girls. If the hernia occured during the first two months of life, a c ontralateral hernia developed later highly significant (p>0.0001). Wit hin the first two postoperative years the second hernia arose in 84.9% . We recommended to routinely operation for a contralateral hernia in all children younger than two months.