CDH International - A global initiative to stop Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. CDH International was founded in the United States in 1995. In 2020, we applied for and received NGO status in the United Kingdom. Our mission in the UK is to promote, support, fund and participate in CDH Research. We will continue to work with the US charity and other charities in the Alliance of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Organizations (ACDHO), as well as run the CDH Patient Registry and other joint schemes. Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) is a birth defect that occurs when a baby’s diaphragm (a thin sheet of muscle that separates the abdomen from the chest) fails to fully form, allowing abdominal organs to enter the chest cavity and prevent lung growth. CDH occurs in approximately 1 in 2500 births, with over 1600 babies diagnosed each year in the United States alone. There is currently no known cause, but studies have suggested that it is likely due to a number of genetic and environmental factors.