Neonatal Heart Disease

Book excerpt: As pediatric cardiology becomes more and more neonatal cardiology and even fetal cardiology, Neonatal Heart Disease by Robert M. Freedom, MO, Leland N. Benson, MD, and Jeffrey F. Smallhorn, MB is extraordinarily timely. Neonatal Heart Disease consists of 50 chapters by 25 distinguished contributors and is a worthy successor to The Neonate With Congenital Heart Disease by Richard D. Rowe, MD and his colleagues (1968 and 1981). The first ~dition of this book in 1968 established Richard D. Rowe, MD as the father of neonatal cardiology. As most pediatric cardiologists now know, Dick Rowe died on January 18, 1988 after a brief illness. It will therefore come as no surprise that the present volume is dedicated to this great and gentle man. Nor will it come as a surprise that I have been asked to devote this Foreword to Richard D. Rowe, MD, pioneering neonatal cardiologist and incomparable personal friend. What can one say about Dick Rowe? Well, there are at least two very different tales. There is Dick Rowe the public man -the factual account of Dick Rowe's achievements as a physician, educator, and research man - the Dick Rowe that virtually "everyone" knows. And then there is Dick Rowe the private man -the extraordinary human being who only his personal friends were privileged to know. I shall try to tell something of both stories. First, the public man - the factual account - is really quite amazing.