Abstract
Background and aims: congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a rare malformation with a high mortality rate. Prenatal diagnosis is essential in defining the optimal perinatal therapeutic strategy. All cases of Portugal's Central Region have been referred to PICU of Coimbra's Pediatric Hospital (CPH). The aims were to determine the incidence of CDH, to characterize the newborns (NB) with CDH admitted to the PICU, to evaluate the mortality and its evolutionary pattern.
Methods: a retrospective, study analysis made up of children with CDH was undertaken in a 15 year period. Based on the admission' year, two groups were formed: group A (1995-2001) and group B (2002-2009), where the newborns' characteristics, therapeutic strategies, prognostic factors and mortality were compared.
Results: the mean annual incidence was 2.2 per 10.000 live-newborn. Of the 60 NB admitted to the PICU-CPH, 48.7% were prenatally diagnosed, 38% had associated malformations and 23.3% had a right-sided defect. 71.7% were born in perinatal tertiary referral centre. Regarding prognostic factors, newborns' characteristics and underlying therapeutic strategies, no statistically significant differences were observed between the two study groups. Prenatal diagnosis was made in 37.5% in the group A and 52.8% in the group B cases (p=0.369). The mortality in group A (29%) was significantly higher than in group B (5%; p=0.032).
Conclusions: a significant decrease in mortality was observed in the two periods of the study, and that can be partially explained by prenatal diagnosis, which led to an in perinatal care.
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pimenta, J., Silva, P., Pinto, C. et al. 1245 Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia: 15 Year-Experience in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Pediatr Res 68 (Suppl 1), 617 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-201011001-01245
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-201011001-01245