In many cases, however, the airway compression is discovered during prenatal ultrasound exams, permitting time to plan a safe delivery using the EXIT procedure or other means.

Then comes the EXIT: the baby is partially delivered through the opening but remains attached by its umbilical cord to the placenta, while a pediatric otolaryngologist-head & neck surgeon establishes an airway so the fetus can breathe.

[citation needed] The ex utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) procedure was originally developed to reverse temporary tracheal occlusion in patients who had undergone fetal surgery for severe congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH).

[citation needed] The EXIT is much more complex than a standard C-section, as it requires careful coordination between the mother's physicians and the specialists operating on the newborn baby.

The difficulty lies in preserving enough blood flow through the umbilical cord, protecting the placenta, and avoiding contractions of the uterus so that there is sufficient time to establish the airway.