Monmouth couple Sarah and Luke Rollings recently had their world turned upside down by the news that their newly conceived baby has a congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), a largely life threatening condition.

A CDH is a hole in the diaphragm (the muscle under the lungs that is responsible for breathing) that allows organs from the abdomen to move into the chest.

CDHs affect about 1 in every 2,500 babies and, as such, is not an uncommon condition.

Babies with CDH have a 50/50 chance of survival but there is pioneering surgery available and a growing call for more research into what causes the condition and better correctional techniques and aftercare.

The Rollings' baby girl is due in April. Sarah and her baby have already undergone pioneering surgery at Kings College Hospital London to have what is called a FETO operation. This is when they insert a balloon into the baby's windpipe to stop fluid exiting the lungs and therefore forcing the lungs to expand. The operation itself is still experimental and can only be performed by Professor Kypros Nicolaides. The first operation to have the balloon inserted was done at 26 weeks and the removal operation will be performed at 34 weeks.

After the baby is born there is further surgery to correct the problem.

Mother, Sarah says, "The decision to have the surgery was one of the most difficult decisions we have had to make."

"Our baby was given a 10-20% chance of survival before the operation and we were told that the operation could help potentially take it to 50% survival rate. In a way there was no choice as if we didn't have the operation it was most likely our baby would die, but the surgery itself could have meant that I would go into premature labour and could lose the baby that way."

"For me the choice to have the surgery was a hard choice, even though I knew I had to go through with the operation to try and save my little girls life. I still wondered even up to the point of the professor doing the op if I was doing the right thing."

The condition has meant a complete change of mentality and lifestyle for the couple.

The charity http://www.cdhuk.co.uk">www.cdhuk.co.uk has been a big help to Sarah and Luke, who now want to help promote awareness.

"Through CDH UK we have been in contact with other families nationally who are going through the CDH journey too."

The charity helps families touched by CDH and campaigns for further research into the condition.