Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) Fund

One in every 3,000 babies is born with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), a severe birth defect that results in the intestines, stomach, and even the liver moving into the developing fetus’s chest and impeding the growth of the lungs. Nationally the survival rate for CDH is less than 60%, and many fetuses are terminated following diagnosis because of the general expectation of poor results. Since 1992, however, the CDH survival rate under the care of University of Florida physicians has been unprecedented. According to the Annals of Surgery (September 1999), the survival rate was 89% (47 of 53) of treated patients and 92% (23 of 25) of consecutive patients with isolated CDH who were both born and treated at UF and Shands Children’s Hospital. UF pediatric surgeons have pioneered improvements in the care of these newborns, including gentle ventilation therapy, ECMO, and brain protective monitoring. With your support UF physicians and researchers can further improve the care and outcome for these tiny patients, and further improve the dissemination of these life-saving care strategies.