Novel non-surgical prenatal approaches to treating congenital diaphragmatic hernia

This review focuses on the emerging field of non-surgical in-utero therapies in the management of fetal pulmonary hypoplasia and pulmonary hypertension associated with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). These experimental approaches include pharmacologic as well as stem-cell-based strategies. Current barriers of non-surgical therapies toward clinical translation are emphasized. As the severity of CDH will likely influence the efficacy of any in-utero therapy, the current status of prenatal imaging and the role of novel biomarkers, especially those related to fetal inflammation, are also reviewed. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.