Congenital heart disease in teenagers

Congenital heart disease affects over 1% of live born infants and the vast majority of patients will survive to adulthood. The teenage years from 13 to 19 are characterized by marked physical, emotional and social changes and these pose particular problems for parents and clinicians looking after young people with chronic health conditions. Most young people with congenital heart disease will need regular review throughout their lives. Whilst care is ordinarily transferred to adult services by the age of 18 or 19, a process of transition of care, where the young person begins to assume responsibility for their condition, should start early in the teenage years or even before. Lapse of care is associated with increased morbidity. This article explores the breadth and nature of cardiac problems in the teenage population and reviews the principles and aims of transition care.