Final answer:
Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia presents with a range of symptoms including respiratory distress, feeding difficulties, and neurological signs such as seizures and hemiparesis. Respiratory issues and the vulnerability to infection are critical concerns. The condition may also lead to gastrointestinal and systemic symptoms, which can be life-threatening in severe cases.
Step-by-step explanation:
Signs and Symptoms of Congenital Diaphragmatic HerniaCongenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) is characterized by the presence of a defect in the diaphragm, which allows abdominal organs to move into the chest cavity, affecting lung development and function. Early onset signs and symptoms include temperature instability, apnea (cessation of breathing), bradycardia (slow heart rate), hypotension, difficulty feeding, irritability, and limpness. Additional symptoms experienced by the affected newborn can include a difficulty to wake up when asleep, seizures, bulging fontanel (soft spot), stiff neck, hemiparesis (weakness on one side of the body), and opisthotonos (rigid body with arched back and head thrown backward).
Respiratory complications may manifest as shortness of breath, wheezes or stridor, hoarseness, pain with swallowing, and cough. The role of the diaphragm in Kehr's sign is critical; blood from a ruptured spleen puts pressure on the diaphragm, causing referred pain in regions corresponding to the diaphragm and not the spleen. Other related issues include anemia, edema, an enlarged liver or spleen, and hydrops (fluid in body cavity), which can be fatal in severe cases.Aspiration of meconium with the first breath can lead to labored breathing, a barrel-shaped chest, or a low Apgar score, and it increases vulnerability to pulmonary infections like pneumonia. The infant might experience a range of other symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, headache, cough, chills, light sensitivity, muscle pain, fever, conjunctivitis; significant affliction may hinder motor coordination, breathing, and heart function.