Yes, hernias can develop at any age, from birth through the latest decades of life. They affect roughly 5% of full-term newborns and up to 30% of premature infants, while the lifetime risk of a groin hernia reaches 27% for men and 3% for women. What changes across the lifespan isn’t whether a hernia is possible, but which type is most likely and why.
Hernias in Newborns and Infants
Babies can be born with hernias or develop them within the first few months of life. Inguinal hernias (in the groin) are the most common surgical problem in infants, occurring in about 5% of full-term babies and 30% of those born prematurely. Boys are 4 to 10 times more likely to be affected than girls, largely because the inguinal canal that the testes pass through during development can leave a natural weak spot.
Premature infants face even higher risk because their inguinal canal is shorter and runs straight through the abdominal wall instead of at an angle. That geometry means the internal and external openings sit almost directly on top of each other, making it easier for tissue to push through.
Umbilical hernias are also common in newborns, appearing as a soft bulge near the belly button. Most close on their own by age 4 or 5 without surgery. In babies who can’t yet tell you something hurts, the main signs to watch for are a visible lump in the groin or around the navel that gets bigger when the baby cries or strains, persistent crying that seems tied to discomfort, and swelling in a boy’s scrotum.
Children, Teens, and Young Adults
Hernias are less common in older children and teenagers, but they still happen. Inguinal hernias can appear during growth spurts or in kids who are physically active. Teens involved in sports sometimes develop what’s called a sports hernia, which causes chronic groin pain that may radiate downward but doesn’t produce the telltale visible bulge. The pain tends to linger for months and worsen with activity.
Young adults in their 20s and 30s can develop hernias from heavy lifting, intense physical training, or chronic coughing and straining. At this age, connective tissue is generally at its strongest, so hernias are less frequent than in older groups. But congenital weak spots that were never symptomatic in childhood can become apparent under enough physical stress.
Hernias During Pregnancy
Pregnancy creates a specific set of conditions that favor hernias. The growing uterus stretches the abdominal wall, raises pressure inside the abdomen, and puts stress on the tissue around the belly button. Umbilical hernias occur in about 0.08% of pregnancies. That number sounds small, but it represents a distinct pregnancy-related risk that can show up in otherwise healthy women with no prior history.
Inguinal hernias can also develop or worsen during pregnancy for the same reasons: rising abdominal pressure and softening connective tissue. Most pregnancy-related hernias are monitored rather than immediately repaired, with surgery typically planned for after delivery unless complications arise.
Middle Age and the Peak Years
The 40s through 60s represent peak hernia territory, especially for men. This is when the cumulative effects of decades of physical stress, weight gain, and gradual tissue weakening converge. Inguinal hernias remain the most common type, but incisional hernias also become a significant concern for anyone who has had abdominal surgery. Between 5% and 20% of patients develop a hernia at a previous surgical site, with the rate averaging about 12% after major open abdominal procedures and 3% after laparoscopic ones.
What drives hernia risk upward with age is a slow, measurable change in the body’s structural proteins. The abdominal wall depends on two types of collagen working together: one provides stiffness and load-bearing strength, while the other provides flexibility. As you age, the ratio shifts toward the softer, more flexible type at the expense of the stronger one. Fibroblasts, the cells responsible for building and maintaining this scaffolding, become less active. The enzymes that break down old tissue start outpacing the ones that build new tissue. The result is a thinner, less organized collagen network that’s more prone to giving way under pressure.
Hernias in Older Adults
After age 60, hernia risk continues to climb. The connective tissue changes that begin in middle age accelerate, and the abdominal wall in older adults is measurably weaker at the molecular level than in younger people. Studies comparing tissue samples from adults and infants show that adults have a lower ratio of strong-to-flexible collagen, confirming an age-related drift toward a weaker structural matrix in the exact tissues where hernias form.
Older men bear the heaviest burden. The inguinal canal in men is wider and shorter than in women, and the weakness created when the testes descended during fetal development persists throughout life. Women over 50, however, face a distinct risk: femoral hernias. These occur just below the groin crease and are four times more common in women than men. Femoral hernias account for about 24% of all hernias in women but only 2% in men.
Hiatal hernias, where part of the stomach pushes up through the diaphragm, also become increasingly common with age. Years of positive pressure inside the abdomen gradually enlarge the opening in the diaphragm, and the hernia tends to grow larger over time. Many hiatal hernias cause no symptoms at all, though some lead to heartburn, chest discomfort, or difficulty swallowing.
Why Age Raises the Stakes
A hernia at 30 and a hernia at 80 are not the same clinical situation. Older adults are significantly more likely to experience strangulation, where the herniated tissue gets trapped and its blood supply is cut off. In a study of 200 patients who needed emergency surgery for a strangulated groin hernia, those over 60 required bowel removal nearly 20% of the time, compared to less than 2% in younger patients. Patients over 80 had higher rates of postoperative complications, longer hospital stays, and greater mortality, largely because of pre-existing health conditions rather than the surgery itself.
This is one reason surgeons often recommend repairing hernias electively rather than waiting. A planned hernia repair in a healthy 65-year-old is a straightforward procedure. The same repair done as an emergency in an 85-year-old with heart disease and diabetes carries substantially more risk. Age alone isn’t the main danger. It’s the combination of age, accumulated health problems, and the emergency nature of the surgery that makes outcomes worse.
Risk Factors That Apply at Every Age
Certain factors raise hernia risk regardless of how old you are. Chronic coughing from smoking or lung disease puts repeated strain on the abdominal wall. Obesity increases intra-abdominal pressure. Constipation and straining during bowel movements do the same. A family history of hernias suggests you may have inherited a weaker connective tissue profile. Previous abdominal surgery creates scar tissue that never regains the full strength of the original wall.
Heavy lifting is a classic trigger, but it’s more of a final straw than a root cause. The underlying weakness usually has to be present first, whether from genetics, aging, prior surgery, or a congenital defect that has been silently waiting. The physical effort just provides the pressure spike that pushes tissue through the vulnerable spot.