What the Pediatrician should know about Congenital Heart Disease

Initial recognition of congenital heart disease in the neonate as well as decisions for referral to a cardiac center for subsequent management are usually the responsibility of the pediatrician. While the malformations of the heart sometimes present obvious mamifestions in the newborn, the early diagnosis is more often elusive and the type and severity of cardiac dysfunction can be obscure, especially when only traditional methods of clinical evaluation are used.