Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia
"Congenital" means "born with." The diaphragm is the breathing muscle that separates the chest cavity and the abdominal cavity. The diaphragm develops when the fetus is about two months old. Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is the absence of the diaphragm, or a hole in the diaphragm. This can occur on either the left or right side, but is most common on the left.
The contents of the abdomen, including the stomach, intestines, liver and spleen, may go through the hole and into the chest. The contents prevent the normal development of the lung (pulmonary hypoplasia) on that side, and may affect the growth of the other lung. After birth the infant will have difficulty breathing if the lungs are not developed enough.
Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia has a rate of occurrence of 1 in every 2500 babies.
Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia affects approximately 1600 babies each year in the United States.
Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia patients often endure long-term complications such as pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary hypoplasia, asthma, gastrointestinal reflex, feeding disorders, and developmental delays
Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia survivors sometimes endure long-term mechanical ventilation dependency, skeletal malformations, supplemental oxygen dependency, enteral and parenteral nutrition, and hypoxic brain injury.
April 19th is the International Day of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness
cdhgenetics.com
Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia
ReplyDeleteThe diaphragm typically forms during the first eight weeks of pregnancy. In CDH patients, the size of the hole in the diaphragm will determine how much a baby’s lungs, heart, and other internal organs will be affected.