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The effect of musculoskeletal abnormalities on lung function in children born with congenital diaphragmatic hernia

H B Q Brand1, H T Fitzgerald2, S Haggie2

  • 1Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia; Faculty of Medical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands (the).

Paediatric Respiratory Reviews
|May 26, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Chest wall deformities are common in congenital diaphragmatic hernia survivors and can negatively impact lung function. More severe deformities were linked to reduced forced vital capacity in this study.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Pulmonology
  • Orthopedics

Background:

  • Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) survivors frequently develop chest wall deformities (CWD) and scoliosis.
  • The impact of these musculoskeletal abnormalities on lung function in CDH survivors is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of CWD and scoliosis in CDH survivors.
  • To determine the association between CWD and lung function, specifically forced vital capacity (FVC).

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 184 CDH patients treated between 1999 and 2025.
  • Matching patients with musculoskeletal abnormalities to controls for comparison of spirometry data.
  • Statistical analysis including univariate and multivariate models to assess the impact of CWD on FVC.

Main Results:

  • High prevalence of CWD (57.9%) and scoliosis (6.7%) in CDH survivors.
  • Asymmetry of the chest and pectus excavatum were the most common CWD.
  • Moderate CWD was significantly associated with lower FVC (p < 0.01).

Conclusions:

  • Chest wall deformities are a frequent comorbidity in children with congenital diaphragmatic hernia.
  • Increased severity of chest wall deformities in CDH survivors correlates with diminished forced vital capacity.
Abstract

Keywords:
Chest wall deformitiesCongenital diaphragmatic HerniaLung functionPectus excavatumRadiologyScoliosis

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