NCT03980717Recruiting
Fetal Endotracheal Occlusion (FETO) in the Resolution of Pulmonary Hypertension in Fetuses With Severe CDH
A Prospective Study on the Role of Fetal Endotracheal Occlusion (FETO) in the Resolution of Pulmonary Hypertension Among Fetuses With Severe Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 6 Feb 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) occurs when the diaphragm fails to fully fuse and leaves a portal through which abdominal structures can migrate into the thorax. In the more severe cases, the abdominal structures remain in the thoracic cavity and compromise the development of the lungs. Infants born with this defect have a decreased capacity for gas exchange; mortality rates after birth have been reported between 40-60%. Now that CDH can be accurately diagnosed by mid-gestation, a number of strategies have been developed to repair the hernia and promote lung tissue development. Fetal tracheal occlusion (FETO), using a fetoscopically delivered and removed balloon device, has been used to temporarily occlude the trachea and increase lung distension in CDH to allow the lungs to develop and has been shown to increase survival at birth. The role of FETO in the resolution of pulmonary hypertension in fetuses with severe left- and right- sided CDH remains unclear. Our recent observation that FETO is associated with a higher proportion of infants who resolve their pulmonary hypertension by the age of 1 year as compared with those who have not had FETO, is based on a retrospective cohort study, which, as with any such design, has some intrinsic limitations. Thus, a prospective cohort study that is appropriately powered to confirm or disprove this encouraging observation is needed. If our preliminary observation is confirmed, resolution of PH by the age of 1 year could be added to the benefits of the FETO procedure in severe left and right-sided CDH cases. The investigators will perform 40 FETO procedures on fetuses diagnosed prenatally with severe right- or left-sided CDH, and outcome data will be compared with that of a control group of severe right- or left-sided CDH who will not undergo the FETO procedure because of medical or social issues. Because the prevalence of left-sided CDH is higher than right-side CDH, the investigators will perform 25 FETO procedures in left sided CDH and 15 in right-sided CDH, and these outcomes will be compared to a cohort of 40 non FETO cases.
- Status (registry)
- Recruiting
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 80 (estimated)
- First submitted
- 5 Jun 2019
- Start date
- Aug 2019
- Primary completion date
- Dec 2028
- Lead sponsor
- Michael A Belfort
- NCT number
- NCT03980717
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional
- Planned participants: 80
- From Aug 2019 to the primary completion date, Dec 2028
- 1 site in 1 country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Prior treatment
- Contraindication to abdominal surgery, fetoscopic surgery, or general anesthesia
- Allergy or previous adverse reaction to a study medication specified in this protocol
Other illness
- Allergy to latex
- Suspicion of major recognized syndrome (e.g. Fryns syndrome) on ultrasound or MRI
Other
- Preterm labor, preeclampsia, or uterine anomaly (e.g., large fibroid tumor) in the index pregnancy.
- Fetal aneuploidy, known structural genomic variants, other major fetal anomalies that may impact the fetal/neonatal survival or known syndromic mutation
- Maternal BMI \>40
- High risk for fetal hemophilia
Who the study is looking for
- Patient is a pregnant woman between 18 and 45 years of age
- Singleton pregnancy
- The fetuses will be 28+0/7 to 31+6/7 weeks of gestational age
- Confirmed diagnosis of severe left- or right-sided CDH of the fetus: Observed/expected total lung volume equal to or less than 0.32 with more than 21% of liver herniated into the hemithorax. (Ideally calculated between 28+0/7 and 31+6/7 weeks' gestation.)
- Normal fetal echocardiogram or echocardiogram with a minor anomaly (such a small VSD) that in the opinion of the pediatric cardiologist will not affect postnatal outcome
- Normal fetal karyotype or microarray
- The mother must be healthy enough to have surgery
- Patient and father of the baby provide signed informed consent that details the maternal and fetal risks involved with the procedure
- Patient willing to remain in Houston for the duration following balloon placement until delivery.
Age in the registry: 18 years to 45 years · Sex: Female · Does not accept healthy volunteers
Sites (1)
Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.
| Site | City | Country | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Childrens Hospital Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Houston | United States | Recruiting |
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.