Recent advances in the management of congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a rare developmental defect resulting in variable degrees of lung and pulmonary vasculature hypoplasia. Whereas many high-volume centers have recently reported increased survival rates, this has not been the collective trend. One potential explanation for this is inconsistent perinatal care among centers.

RECENT FINDINGS: Significant efforts have been made to identify prenatally those fetuses that will be most severely affected. A number of radiologic features have shown promise for achieving this goal as well as identifying fetuses that may benefit from prenatal intervention. When CDH is antenatally diagnosed, early referral to a tertiary center is recommended. Centers that routinely use postnatal management protocols have demonstrated improved overall survival rates including increased survival in high-risk CDH patients.

SUMMARY: As a result of advancements in perinatal care, more severely affected newborns with CDH are now surviving. These patients may experience a number of associated morbidities which affect not only their health but overall quality of life. A multidisciplinary approach to the long-term care of these patients will allow early identification and management of these morbidities.