Evidence-based Management of Infants with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia

The mortality rate associated with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) varies widely between centers and remains relatively high despite widespread use of new therapeutic modalities. Many of these have been implemented without properly controlled studies. Over the past 10 to 15 years, only 9 randomized trials enrolling a total of approximately 250 infants with CDH have been published. The limited evidence available suggests that better outcomes are observed by delivering infants with CDH at experienced centers, by delaying surgical repair until hemodynamic and respiratory stability is achieved, and by the judicious utilization of nonaggressive mechanical ventilation and permissive hypercapnea. Other therapeutic modalities, such as high frequency oscillatory ventilation, inhaled nitric oxide, and ECMO, may provide additional advantages for selected infants. There is a dire need to establish networks of centers that manage enough infants with CDH, to conduct appropriately sized randomized trials that can answer some of the critical questions about the management and long-term outcome of these infants.