Physiological outcome predictors during resuscitation of CDH infants
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Are respiratory function parameters measured during resuscitation of infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) predictive of morbidity and mortality? A single-centre prospective observational study.
IRAS ID
365273
Contact name
Anne Greenough
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
HCWXJ, Open Science Framework
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a serious condition where a baby’s diaphragm does not form properly, allowing organs from the abdomen to move into the chest. This can prevent the lungs from developing normally and lead to life-threatening breathing problems after birth. Around 30% of affected babies do not survive. Doctors can estimate the severity of CDH before birth, but we still do not fully understand why some babies do well after delivery while others become very unwell.
When a baby with CDH is born, they are routinely given breathing support. During this time, specialised equipment called a respiratory function monitor measures how well the lungs are working. Previous research at our hospital showed that the results of certain breathing measurements in the first moments after birth differ between babies who survive and those who do not, but that research was carried out when muscle-relaxing medicines were routinely used. These medicines are no longer given at birth because they may worsen lung function. No study has yet examined how these early breathing measurements relate to later outcomes in babies who did not receive muscle-relaxing medicine.This study will follow babies with CDH from birth until they leave the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). We will record breathing measurements in the delivery room and again on NICU, perform lung ultrasound scans, and use a painless lung-function test called the forced oscillation technique. We want to find out whether the breathing measurements at birth predict important outcomes such as survival, need for advanced ventilation, time on NICU, and postoperative complications.
The study will take place at King’s College Hospital and aims to recruit 8–10 infants over one year. Parents will be asked for consent in the first day of life. The research is sponsored by King’s College Hospital.
REC name
South Central - Oxford C Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/SC/0061
Date of REC Opinion
25 Feb 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion