Groin pain during pregnancy
It is not uncommon to experience pain in the groin during pregnancy. As with any other person, this can of course be independent of pregnancy, but hormonal changes sometimes lead to this pain. These hormonal pains are usually strongest in the back, groin and pelvis.
The groin pain is caused by a loosening and softening of the connective tissue, which occurs quite naturally during pregnancy. This makes childbirth considerably easier, as the birth canal can become larger without destroying tissue. This hormonal softening is also the reason why women usually have significantly more flexible joints, muscles and ligaments than men, even outside of pregnancy.
The pain occurs mainly when running, as this is when the load on the pelvis is greatest. Another reason for groin pain during pregnancy can also be a hernia. The growth of the child increases the pressure within the mother’s abdomen and thus also on the inguinal canal.
The softening of the connective tissue also softens the inguinal canal. Both factors considerably favour the development of an inguinal hernia. During birth, the pressure in the abdominal cavity increases again due to pressing, which is why there is a particularly high risk of an inguinal hernia here.
During pregnancy, however, inguinal hernias are usually not operated on in order to avoid endangering mother and child through anesthesia and surgery. Exceptions are, of course, incarcerated hernias, which require urgent treatment. It should also be noted that groin pain can also occur after pregnancy, as the hormonal changes in the connective tissue only gradually subside, so that pain caused by the pregnancy still occurs after birth.
Groin pain in babies and children
Already in childhood a hernia can occur. When analyzing the cause of the pain, it is aggravating that the little ones cannot communicate and therefore cannot describe where and when the pain occurs. If the parents notice a “bump” in the area of the groin or testicles, the child must be immediately presented to a doctor and, if necessary (outside the doctor’s office hours) taken to hospital!
If the child is particularly sensitive to touch and signals pain, it is also possible that a hernia is present, but it does not yet bulge outwards through the abdominal wall and is therefore still “invisible”. Also in this case a doctor must be consulted immediately! The inguinal hernia should be detected and operated on as early as possible. In most cases, this operation is performed on an outpatient basis, so that parents can take their child home the same day. The healing process is very fast, so that only a few weeks after the diagnosis and the operation, the child has “forgotten” everything and the wound heals well.
