Diaphragmatic hernia in neonate.

During the last four years, we treated 41 infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia with an overall survival rate of 68%. All infants presenting after the first day of life survived and the survival rate of neonates treated during the first day of life was 63%. The infants could be classified into two groups. In the first group infants did not have severe respiratory distress and had small diaphragmatic defects which were easily repaired with a survival rate of 95%. Neonates in the second group had severe respiratory distress or large lesions which were difficult to repair and a survival rate of only 30%.