Comprehensive Center for CDH Care

02/07/2026

Lace up and join Noah and William at the Houston Run for CDH at Rice University 💙
Whether you’re running the 5K or walking the Fun Run, every step helps raise awareness and support families affected by Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia.

We’re moving with our Tiny Heroes and the hope that brings us all together.
📅 April 25, 2026
📍 Rice University Stadium

Come earn your medal and be part of something meaningful.

Register now: https://www.tinyhero.org/houston-run

01/28/2026

01/26/2026

A message of compassion and strength for families navigating grief from our friends over at Charlie Polizzi's Warrior of the Angels. "I remember thinking, “How is this happening?”. Why is this happening? Why was my baby given so many battles? Why couldn't I take on the battles? As I began to ask myself these questions, I built layers of scaffolds on how I would build my new life, the new me."

Learn ways to navigate grief during the "early" days.

01/20/2026

We are so excited to announce that Tiny Hero: Real Hope for CDH and the Comprehensive Center for CDH Care are partnering for a HOUSTON Run for CDH! Mark your calendar for Saturday, April 25th, 2026 and make sure to register using the QR code or the link below. We are thrilled to host an official Tiny Hero race here locally and look forward to seeing our CDH families far and near along with our Houston community. Please share the word as ALL are welcome!
https://tinyhero.org/houston-run

12/05/2025

Dr. Matthew Harting was invited to share about CDH and the research endeavors going on at UTHealth Houston, UT Physicians, and The Comprehensive Center For CDH Care on the Real Talk in Medicine podcast. Such a good message about CDH and research that changes the future of CDH. Go take a listen and let us know what you think. Feel free to share the wonderful things happening in CDH. Thank you Dr. Harting for your commitment in taking care of children and families with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia!!

Pediatric surgeon Matthew T. Harting, MD, joins the Real Talk in Medicine: UT Physicians podcast to discuss congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) and the tra...

12/04/2025

We want to congratulate Kereisha on Employee of the Month! Kereisha is one the amazing medical assistants who helps take care of our CDH patients and patients in our high risk infant and children’s clinic at UTPhysicians. She is an important part of our team and we are so excited to celebrate her!

11/17/2025

RSV Season is upon us...what does that mean for your CDH child?

10/29/2025

09/22/2025

Tell us how nurses impacted your CDH journey! The Comprehensive Center for CDH Care is growing a new focus on nursing education. Nurses are such a key component to any successful program. We want to pour our time into our CDH nursing team to help them grow and nurture their knowledge and expertise. We enjoyed a lovely dinner and lecture series and threw around new ideas and enjoyed collaborating about patient care strategies. We are so thankful to our nurses who show compassionate, family centered care, with daily hands on care for our tiniest of patients. Feel free to name drop and share pictures of your amazing nurses who impacted you!

09/03/2025

My child is ready to be discharged from the NICU to home… what should I know?

You made it through all the ups and downs of prenatal care, delivery, life in the NICU (maybe even ECMO), and now your medical team is telling you that you are close to being discharged home! You are overjoyed… wait, nervous… excited… scared… asking yourself, “what will I do if…”

Preparing for discharge is an exciting time and the specifics depend on many factors: How severe was my child? A patient with an A defect is different than a patient with a D defect. Is my child on oxygen? Does my child have a G-tube? Maybe a tracheostomy? How far away do I live from the hospital (and care team) I now trust? What do my resources look like when I return home?

Managing medical complexity: Takes a team and good education to successfully navigate oxygen, a G-tube, a tracheostomy, or other medical complexities at home. Get educated. Feel comfortable. Have a backup Gtube.

1. Find a pediatrician that you trust. They don't have to be an expert in CDH.
2. Knowing who to call and who I will follow-up with – you need to have a clear idea about who to reach out to… Pediatrician? Surgeon? Pulmonologist? It’s best to have a specialized CDH clinic!
3. 75% of all CDH patients will be back in the ER and/or readmitted for care in the first year of life! Make sure you know the signs and symptoms of a CDH recurrence AND a bowel obstruction.

It is important that your care team reassure you that they are prepared to help you with this next phase. This is what you have been waiting for! What other questions do you have about discharge? Let us know!

08/25/2025

We want to wish all our CDH families a Happy Back to School month! We hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable summer break. We would love to see all those smiling faces and siblings on their first day of school. The CDH team lives for these happy photos!!

07/31/2025

Several weeks ago, the CDH team was recognized at a Memorial Hermann system wide meeting for our efforts and appreciation from a CDH family. Her parents sent us a beautiful email CELEBRATING her 1st birthday and sending us kind words for their appreciation.

"We had never even heard of CDH when she was diagnosed, and from the first meeting - the entire team has been absolutely tremendous. I remember at that first meeting, going through her specific case - finding out she was considered “severe” and what potential outcomes to expect. Dr. Harting emphasized that the goal was not just survival, but to allow these CDH babies to go on to live normal lives. It was such a long and stressful day, but what I remember most is feeling such warmth and empathy from everyone involved, that everyone was on the same page and would do everything possible to help our girl, and that is what ultimately led us to choosing to relocate to receive care at CMHH. "

Thank you for trusting us with her care and we are honored to get to celebrate her 1st birthday with you!