Long-term outlook for survivors of congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) patients are critically ill but can expect excellent survival rates if other serious anomalies are not present. Significant long-term morbidities, however, exist in the survivors. The most notable of these are developmental delay, poor growth, gastroesophageal reflux disease, sensorineural hearing loss, and musculoskeletal abnormalities. Patients require careful long-term follow-up for these problems, and caregivers must continue to critically evaluate their medical interventions in the neonatal period in an attempt to minimize these morbidities.