Late Consequences of Chronic Pediatric Illness

With the advent of new treatments for pediatric disorders, more chronically ill children and adolescents are surviving into adulthood than ever before. This article is aimed at helping psychiatric consultants understand how medical, developmental, and psychosocial needs are altered in adults who have grown up chronically ill as children. Congenital heart disease, cystic fibrosis, and rheumatologic disorders are discussed in detail as models to illustrate the impact of congenital malformations, genetic disorders, and typically adult disorders occurring in the pediatric age group.