Fast Facts About CDH

• The diaphragm is the sheet of muscle that separates the heart and lungs from the abdominal organs.
• Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH), simply put, occurs when the diaphragm of a fetus doesn't completely form, allowing abdominal organs to move into the chest. This keeps the lungs from developing properly.
• CDH is often fatal due to underdeveloped (a.k.a. hypoplastic) lungs and the resulting complications.
• It's not just lung size that determines survival. Lung function, as in the ability of the existing lung tissue to exchange gas, is a very important factor. The lungs must be able to adequately accept oxygen and give up cardon dioxide in order for assisted ventilation to be successful.
• Lung function is greatly impaired by the development of PPHN (persistent pulmonary hypertension), which occurs often in CDH babies after birth.
• PPHN is a condition in which the blood vessels in the lungs constrict, causing the blood pressure in the vessels of the lungs (pulmonary pressure) to be higher than the blood pressure in the rest of they body (systemic pressure).  The result is a decreased ability to get get oxygen out to the vital organs.
• CDH is commonly accompanied by secondary short term and long term complications. Gastrointestinal, neurological, and respiratory complications are among the most common.
• The cause of CDH is unknown.
• There is no test to accurately determine a baby's chance of survival before birth.