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Diaphragmatic hernia - Symptom

Alternative Names

Hernia - diaphragmatic; Congenital hernia of the diaphragm

Symptoms:

Severe breathing difficulty almost always develops shortly after the baby is born, because of ineffective movement of the diaphragm and crowding of the lung tissue, which causes collapse.

Other symptoms include:

Bluish colored skin due to lack of oxygen
Rapid breathing (tachypnea)
Fast heart rate (tachycardia)

Signs and tests:

The pregnant mother may have excessive amounts of amniotic fluid. Fetal ultrasound may show abdominal contents in the chest cavity.

Examination of the infant shows:

Irregular chest movements
Absent breath sounds on affected side
Bowel sounds heard in the chest
Abdomen feels less full on examination by touch (palpation)

A chest x-ray may show abdominal organs in chest cavity.

Infant diaphragmatic hernia

Diaphragmatic hernia repair - series

Reviewed last on: 6/18/2011
Kimberly G Lee, MD, MSc, IBCLC, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Ehrlich PF, Coran AG. Diaphragmatic hernia. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007: chap 101.

Keijzer R, Puri P. Congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Semin Pediatr Surg 2010 Aug; 19(3): 180-5.

Puri P, Nakazawa N. Congenital diaphragmatic hernia. In: Puri P, Hollworth M, eds. Pediatric surgery: diagnosis and management. Springer, 2009: chapter 31.

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