What is ​Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)?

Also known as: PDA

Patent ductus arteriosus is a heart condition that affects some babies soon after birth. Before birth the ductus arteriosus is the blood vessel that carries most of the body’s blood that flows to the heart, through the pulmonary artery to the aorta which in the fetus takes the blood to be oxygenated by the mother's placenta. Normally after a baby is born, the lungs fill with air, and the ductus arteriosus closes, as it is no longer needed. However, in some babies, the vessel remains open and causes abnormal blood flow between the aorta and pulmonary artery which puts a strain on the baby’s heart. This is patent ductus arteriosus.


Reviewed by: Jack Wolfsdorf, MD, FAAP

This page was last updated on: 1/29/2019 3:21:13 PM

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