A Bochdalek hernia is a congenital abnormality in which an opening exists in the infant's diaphragm, allowing normally intra-abdominal organs (particularly the stomach and intestines) to enter into the thoracic cavity.

[2] This type of hernia was first described in 1754 by McCauley and subsequently studied and named after the Czech pathologist Vincenz Alexander Bochdalek (1801–1883).

[2] In normal Bochdalek hernia cases, the symptoms are often observable simultaneously with the baby's birth.

A few of the symptoms of a Bochdalek Hernia include difficulty breathing, fast respiration and increased heart rate.

If the baby has a Bochdalek hernia it may appear that one side of the chest cavity is larger than the other and/or the abdomen seems to be caved in.

The first step in treatment includes the baby's admission into the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit).

[5] The preferred path of treatment for most Bochdalek Hernia is that babies who are admitted in the NICU, are placed on a mechanical ventilator to help breathing.

[6] After the baby is stable and his or her state has improved, the diaphragm can be fixed and the misplaced organs can be relocated to their correct position.

[8] Infants born with a Bochdalek hernia have a "high mortality rate due to respiratory insufficiency".

These "foreign bodies" in the chest cavity compress the lungs, impairing their proper development and causing pulmonary hypoplasia.

About twenty percent of those children born with a Bochdalek hernia, also have a congenital heart defect.