Hiatus Hernia
Hiatus hernia is the presence of part of the stomach up in the chest cavity, having passed through the hole (the hiatus) in the diaphragm designed solely for the oesophagus. It is usually the top of the stomach that slides through (a sliding hernia) and this pre-disposes to gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (see the oesophagus in the chest cavity section).
It is common in the newborn, where the hiatus is relatively large and lax, and newborn babies spend a lot of time horizontal - and in obese adolescents, where it’s pushed up by the pressure of the abdominal contents. In the newborn it usually corrects itself; the obese adolescent needs to reduce intake and increase exercise.
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