Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia

📖What is Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia?

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia is a birth defect in which an opening in the diaphragm allows abdominal organs such as the stomach, intestines, and liver to move into the chest cavity during fetal development, compressing the developing lungs and heart. This impairs normal lung growth, a condition called pulmonary hypoplasia, and can also disrupt pulmonary blood vessel development leading to pulmonary hypertension after birth. It occurs in roughly 1 in 2,500 to 3,000 live births and is usually detected on a prenatal ultrasound during the second trimester. Severity varies widely depending on which side is affected, the extent of lung compression, and whether other organ systems or genetic syndromes are also involved, and affected newborns typically require immediate specialized neonatal intensive care and surgery within the first days to weeks of life.

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