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Nicklaus Children’s Hospital has several outpatient and urgent care centers throughout South Florida, including on-demand, virtual care.
Walk-in urgent care with no appointment needed.
Serving as your child's primary doctor's office.
Pediatric specialty consultations available closer to home.
A full range of comprehensive services all under one roof.
Connect with providers from the comfort of your own home.
With over 800 pediatric clinicians on staff, we’re dedicated to helping you connect with the right specialist for your needs.
We have expertise in treating children and educating families on hundreds of different conditions.
We use cutting-edge, specialized treatments and procedures to ensure the best care for your child.
Also known as: PFO.
A PFO is a hole in the tissue (atrial septum) that separates the heart's two upper chambers, (right atrium and left atrium). It's present in all babies before birth, and the opening allows oxygenated blood from the mother's placenta to bypass the baby’s non-functioning lungs and send oxygen to the baby's growing body. Typically (in 75%) it closes after a baby is born and breathes. When it doesn’t close, the persistently open hole is called a PFO.
Researchers aren’t exactly clear why PFO occurs, however genetics may play a role.
In most infants, a patent foramen ovale doesn’t cause any symptoms unless it occurs with other heart defects.
A Patent foramen ovale that is present by itself does not require treatment. If symptomatic (or if there are other heart defects), it may be sealed with a device delivered through a vein in the groin or closed with surgery.
Reviewed by: Jack Wolfsdorf, MD, FAAP
This page was last updated on: February 15, 2024 01:46 PM
The Heart Institute – a world leader in pediatric cardiology and cardiovascular surgery and the care of children with congenital heart disorders – serves as a beacon to families confronting the reality of a child or newborn with a heart defect.
Any unusual physical feature or health problem that is present at the birth of a baby is known as a birth defect or a congenital anomaly.