Teens with Congenital Heart Disease Require Help Moving to Adult Care

Early adolescence is the time that patients with congenital heart disease should establish preparing for the move from pediatric to adult medical care, says a new American Heart Association scientific report. Congenital heart disease, which happen before birth, is the most general type of birth defect. Most of these heart disorders are comparatively mild and treatable. The mass of children born with a congenital heart defect survive into adulthood and live usual lives, but many need specialized and ongoing medical treatment. That's why a smooth transition from pediatric to adult medical care is so significant and needs to be a joint attempt between the doctor, the patient and the patient's family.

The transition should begin when the patient is 12 to 14 years old, according to the scientific report, released Feb. 28. "It's not as simple as receiving the name of a new doctor and going to see them when a patient turns 18," Dr. Craig Sable, co-chair of the report committee and director of echocardiography and cardiology fellowship training at George Washington University Medical School in Washington, D.C., said in an American Heart Association news release. "There are several steps associated with the transition process that require to be started at a very young age, so that by the time these children become adults the procedure is well under way," Craig explained.