Congenital diaphragmatic hernia, due to weakness or defect of one of the several fibrous portions of the diaphragm, is no longer considered as an extremely rare condition. Occasionally remaining symptomless throughout life, the condition has in several instances furnished a necropsy surprise and its recognition in infancy or later life has most often been due to the occurrence of chronic digestive disturbances or acute obstruction of some portion of the intestine.
In the case reported herewith, the circumstances that the infant was born in the hospital; that it was under observation throughout life; and that it was breast fed and at no time suffered any other illness, accident or disease, make the clinical features manifested as a result of the hernia unusually clean cut.
These are: (1) an acute and alarming respiratory syndrome due to the presence of almost all of the intestine in the left thorax, but with no