Patent Ductus Arteriosus
OverviewWhat Is Patent Ductus Arteriosus?
Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a congenital heart defect that occurs soon after birth in some babies.
Before birth, the baby receives oxygen via the mother's lungs and placenta. As a result, the baby’s own blood does not need to circulate between the heart and lungs for oxygenation. The ductus arteriosus is an open blood vessel or “tube” that allows the blood to skip the lungs and instead flow directly to the body.
Soon after your baby is born and takes his or her first breath, the lungs open up and blood begins to flow through, picking up oxygen. At this point, the ductus arteriosus is no longer needed. Under normal circumstances, the ductus arteriosus closes within the first few days after birth and blood no longer passes through it. However, in some babies, the ductus arteriosus remains open, or “patent.”
How does PDA affect the heart?
Normally, the artery on the heart's left side (aorta) pumps blood to the body only and the artery on the right side (pulmonary artery) pumps blood to the lungs only. In a child with PDA, the blood gets mixed. If the PDA is large, the mixed blood makes the heart and lungs work harder and the lungs can become congested.
PDA is a fairly common congenital heart defect in the United States. Although the condition can affect full-term infants, it's more common in premature infants. On average, PDA occurs in about 8 out of every 1,000 premature babies, compared with 2 out of every 1,000 full-term babies, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
