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F ETAL CARDIOLOGY IS CURRENTLY PRACTISED IN most European countries, but even within countries there is a great variation in the service provided. The recommendations provided in this document are intended to be guide for all paediatric cardiologists undertaking fetal echocardiography with the view of providing a service in fetal cardiology. It is clear that the health and legal systems vary from country to country, so that not all aspects of these recommendations can be implemented in all countries. The recommendations, nonetheless, provide a framework that can be adapted to fit in with local situations. Whilst we are aware that, in some countries, our obstetric colleagues perform a significant proportion of fetal echocardiograms, these recommendations are designed specifically for the paediatric cardiologist. Although we have included a section on cardiac evaluation during obstetric scans, and have made proposals for sonographers and obstetricians, we would greatly support the formulation of parallel recommendations for obstetricians. The fetal cardiology working group is very keen to help develop these in collaboration with a society such as The International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Functional results of aortic valve repair with cusp extension using fresh pericardium have been satisfactory at medium term, particularly in children with a small aortic anulus at the time of initial repair, because the expansion potential of fresh autologous pericardium is equivalent to that of the growing sinotubular junction and aortic anulus diameters.