March 31 is Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness Day!

Please help support awareness of the horrible birth defect that stole my son MJ from my life by wearing turquoise tomorrow. And if some asks why, please tell them what CDH is.

Breath of Hope

Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) occurs in about one in every 2,500 live births. Absence of the diaphragm may occur on the left, right or both sides, but the absence on the left side is most common. CDH occurs when the diaphragm does not fully form, allowing the stomach oragans into the chest cavity, which severely hinders lung and heart development. There is a wide discrepancy between the “visible” mortality from congenital diaphragmatic hernia reported from children's centers, which treat only those infants who survive gestation, birth, resuscitation, transport and often major surgery, and the true mortality for congenital diaphragmatic hernia, based on all prenatally diagnosed cases, which has been called the “hidden mortality” of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH).