Inguinal hernia is caused by an increased pressure within the abdomen, weakness in the abdominal wall or a combination of the two.
Boys have a higher risk of inguinal hernia than girls. Other risk factors include premature births, family history (a parent or sibling who had hernia as an infant), other urogenital anomalies (undescended testes or abnormalities of the urethra), cystic fibrosis and developmental dysplasia of the hip.
Primary risk factors: Gender
Secondary risk factors: Premature births, family history, urogenital anomalies, cystic fibrosis and developmental dysplasia of the hip.
