Q79.0: Congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Your diaphragm has not developed properly. As a result, organs have shifted from the abdominal cavity into the chest cavity. This condition is congenital, which means you were born with it.

The diaphragm separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. Above the diaphragm are the lungs and the heart. Beneath the diaphragm are the stomach, liver and spleen. In the diaphragm there are some openings which the large blood vessels and the esophagus run through. The diaphragm is a large breathing muscle. The diaphragm tenses when we breathe in. This lowers the diaphragm. This allows the lungs to expand and take in more air. When we breathe out, the diaphragm relaxes, rising up as it does so.

No one knows the exact reason why the diaphragm does not always develop properly before birth.

Part of your diaphragm failed to close properly. As a result, you have an extra hole in your diaphragm. The stomach or intestine often shifts from the abdominal cavity into the chest cavity. The symptoms depend on how many organs or organ sections have shifted into the chest cavity. If there is not enough space in the chest cavity, the lungs cannot develop properly. Breathing difficulties sometimes occur as a result. This defect of the diaphragm sometimes causes serious illness.