To summarize the clinical experience of the prenatal ultrasound for fetal diaphragmatic hernia and pregnancy outcomes.

The characteristics of prenatal ultrasound images and related pregnancy outcomes of congenital diaphragmatic hernia in 51 cases were summarized, who were diagnosed by ultrasound in Dalian Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital from January 2014 to December 2017.

There were 51 fetuses with diaphragmatic hernia suspected by prenatal ultrasonography. Of them, 49 cases were confirmed, and the coincidence rate was 96.1% (49/51). Two cases were misdiagnosed, which included 1 case of diaphragmatic swelling and 1 case of pulmonary cystic adenoma. The rate of misdiagnosis was 3.9% (2/51). The most common sign of diaphragmatic hernia was the absence of stomach in fetal abdomen, which was found in forty cases (78.4%, 40/51). Another diagnostic sign was heart and stomach displacement, which was found in 9 cases (17.6%, 9/51). Among the 49 cases of diaphragmatic hernia, there were 29 males and 20 females. And 43 cases occurred on the left side (84.3%, 43/51), 5 cases occurred on both sides (9.8%, 5/51), 1 case occurred on the right side (2.0%, 1/51). In 33 cases, diaphragmatic hernia was accompanied with other abnormalities (64.7%, 33/51). In 15 cases with a minimum LHR of 1.9, parents decided to continue pregnancy. Of them, fetal death was found in 6 cases. All Of the 9 (60.0%, 9/15) live births underwent surgical treatment with good prognosis.

According to the sign of stomach absence in fetal abdomen as well as the heart and stomach displacement, prenatal screening for fetal diaphragmatic hernia had a high coincidence rate. Multidisciplinary consultation, intrapartum interventions and timely treatment can improve the survival rate of congenital diaphragmatic hernia.