Usefulness of adhesive strapping for umbilical hernias of infants

BACKGROUND: Using a controlled trial, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of adhesive strapping to improve the natural healing rate of umbilical hernia. METHODS: This prospective, observational study included 128 patients from Kumamoto, Japan (97 in the adhesive strapping group, and 31 in observation group), from 2012–2015. The duration from first hospital visit to the hernia orifice closure was compared between the two groups. RESULT: Kaplan‐Meier curves showed that the probability of umbilical hernia in the adhesive strapping group was lower until approximately 200 days, but it was not statistically significant in the log rank test. According to multivariate Cox proportional hazard models, the hazard risk of umbilical hernia in the adhesive strapping group was significantly higher within 0–60 days after adjusting for confounding factors such as hernial cavity and hernia orifice area (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Adhesive strapping of umbilical hernia was significantly associated with earlier closure of the hernia orifice from baseline until at least 60 days.