Inpatient Obstetric Nurse Practice Exam 2025 – Complete Prep Guide

A congenital diaphragmatic hernia results from a defect in the diaphragm that allows abdominal contents, typically from the stomach and intestines, to move into the thoracic cavity. This displacement can severely affect lung development, leading to pulmonary hypoplasia, a condition where the lungs do not form properly and are underdeveloped.

The underdeveloped lungs may not be able to perform adequately, leading to significant respiratory complications immediately after birth. Pulmonary hypoplasia is one of the most critical and life-threatening complications associated with congenital diaphragmatic hernia because it can lead to severe respiratory distress and compromised oxygenation.

In contrast, while conditions like necrotizing enterocolitis and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can be significant in other contexts, they are not direct consequences of congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Increased fluid intake, while important to manage in neonatal care, does not directly correlate with the severe impacts of pulmonary development that congenital diaphragmatic hernia entails. Thus, the emphasis is rightly placed on pulmonary hypoplasia as the significant risk arising from this condition.