Congenital diaphragmatic hernia and profound prematurity: report of a survivor.

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) continues to be one of the most challenging problems in pediatric surgery. The overall mortality rate remains at 40%, and death is caused by pulmonary hypoplasia and persistent pulmonary hypertension. It has been suggested that in utero repair of the defect should be performed to allow the lungs to grow and develop, in the hope of preventing fatal pulmonary insufficiency. The authors report the survival of a 960-g premature infant with CDH, suggesting that ex utero repair is possible in a very low birth weight infant.