title: Pregnancy, parturition, parity and position in the family. Any influence on the development of paediatric inguinal hernia/hydrocele?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To see if pre-partum factors have a relationship to the development of inguinal hernia in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study on children with hernia. On first contact, the affected child was examined and data like the age, sex, weight, blood group, the diagnosis, side of the lesion and other co-morbid conditions was recorded. The mother filled a questionnaire about her age, parity, illness during pregnancy, her mode of delivery and the patient's position in the family.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 104 patients from 103 mothers, their ages ranged from 13 days to 14 years with the highest incidence in the 1-4 age group. The sex ratio was overwhelmingly male (M:F ratio was 38:1). Right sided hernias were predominant. Only 7% had a family history. The peak age group of the mothers was 26-32 years and about 33% of the mothers had some illness during pregnancy. The birth positions of the patients showed that majority of them were either 1st or 2nd born children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women of ages 26-32 likelyto have children with inguinal hernia. Malaria during pregnancy is unlikely to have a role to play. 1st and 2nd born male children have a higher chance of having inguinal hernia.
authors.forename: D O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Irabor
authors.lastname: Ogundoyin O O
authors.forename: D I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Ogunlana
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D036801:Parturition; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D006848:Testicular Hydrocele / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016387:Women's Health; D055815:Young Adult