Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment Receives $10,000 Grant

After a closely contested race for votes between The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and several other children’s hospitals, CHOP’s Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment was recently awarded a $10,000 grant by CHERUBS, the Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Research Awareness and Support Advocacy Organization.

CHERUBS held a contest over Facebook to determine who would receive the $10,000 grant. In addition to allowing families of children with CDH to participate in the grant decision, the contest “helped us raise a large amount of awareness of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia through social media,” said CHERUBS president Dawn Torrence Williamson. 

CHOP’s 3,474 votes narrowly edged out Gainesville, Fla.’s Shands Hospital for Children’s 3,380 votes. Altogether, over 8,000 people voted in the contest, noted Williamson. Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a relatively rare condition, roughly occurring in one of 2500 live births. The condition is characterized by the development of a hole in the diaphragm during gestation, which in turn can lead to the intestines and other internal organs moving into the chest. These can compress the lungs, leading to growth issues and hypertension. Unless treated, CDH can be life-threatening.

The Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment at CHOP is an internationally recognized leader in fetal care, diagnosis, and surgery. Led by Alan W. Flake, MD, FACS, FAAP, the Center’s research arm, the Center for Fetal Research, looks to “develop optimal prenatal treatment strategies for a wide variety of genetic and acquired disorders.”

To learn more, see the Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment’s website.