This will not grow with the baby and may need replacement. Post operatively, the baby will be more ill than before, because of the stress of the operation. After several days, or even weeks, if the lungs are good enough, then the baby can be weaned off the ventilator and will go home. Most babies with CDH are diagnosed antenatally on routine scan. If termination is considered, then amniocentesis for chromosomal abnormality should be done, together with a detailed anomaly scan.
Antenatal diagnosis allows transfer of the mother for assessment and delivery at a regional centre.
The baby can then be electively delivered, resuscitated and undergo surgery, by a fully prepared team of neonatologists and surgeons. Babies are usually delivered normally, though some babies need a caesarian section. Patches, founded as the Diaphragmatic Hernia Family Network, is a small support network established in 1998 by the mother of an affected child. We are a main source of information about rare disorders and are able to assist affected adults as well as children. The CaF Directory Online contains details of many medical conditions and also patient support groups.