Fetal, Pediatric Cardiology and Adult Congenital Heart Disease: Insights in the New Millennium

Over the last few decades, Paediatric Cardiology has made enormous progress. This has resulted in earlier and more accurate diagnosis, with consequent improvement of patients' quality of life (Qol), from birth into adult life. This chapter reviews some major advances in the assessment and diagnosis of fetal and paediatric heart disease. We will also discuss clinical and management issues of a specific population of patients called "GUCH", i.e., Grown-Up with Congenital Heart disease, namely adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) who have become a fast growing group, as a consequence of the advances in cardiac surgery and intensive care in the 1970s and 80s, which have allowed a larger number of children with CHD to survive into adulthood.