Lung to thorax transverse area ratio as a predictor of neurodevelopmental outcomes in fetuses with congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) are at risk of neurodevelopmental disabilities. This study aimed to investigate the association between lung to thorax transverse area ratio (LTR) and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 3 years of age in fetuses with CDH. We performed a retrospective study of infants with prenatally diagnosed isolated left-sided CDH born in Kyushu University Hospital between 2008 and 2016. We examined the association between prenatal ultrasound findings including LTR and development quotient (DQ) at 36 to 42 months of chronological age. We identified 34 live-born fetuses with isolated left-sided CDH, of which 30 survived and four died before discharge. The median LTR in the survivors was higher than in the non-survivors (p