Is patent ductus arteriosus serious in newborns?

Patent ductus arteriosus in newborns is a dangerous omen because it means that the ductus arteriosus remains open after birth, which is a pathological condition. Some babies may recover from these symptoms, but some may develop pulmonary edema. Therefore, parents must not be careless if their children have such a phenomenon. So, is it serious if the newborn has patent ductus arteriosus? We'll find out right away.

The amount and direction of blood flowing through the ductus arteriosus depends on its diameter and length and the relative resistance of the pulmonary and systemic vascular beds. With delivery, umbilical cord ligation, and increased systemic vascular resistance, pulmonary vascular resistance decreases as the lungs expand and the pulmonary artery resistance vessels open. Biphasic shunt first occurs through the ductus arteriosus and then turns into left-to-right shunt. In premature infants, due to the smaller amount of pulmonary artery smooth muscle, the decrease in pulmonary artery resistance is more obvious. When the ductus arteriosus is not closed, a larger left-to-right shunt and left ventricular volume overload may occur. At the same time, the cardiomyocytes of premature infants are small and of low density, the ventricular muscles contain more water, and the sympathetic nerves in the heart have not yet fully developed, resulting in low contractility and reserve function of the premature heart. When the ventricular volume is overloaded, the compliance ability to increase cardiac output is often limited. Therefore, premature infants, especially those with respiratory distress syndrome, often develop congestive heart failure and pulmonary edema due to open ductus arteriosus.

If you want to know whether patent ductus arteriosus in newborns is serious, you should first understand what patent ductus arteriosus is. Patent ductus arteriosus is a pathological condition in which the ductus arteriosus does not close after birth and remains open. The ductus arteriosus is derived from the distal end of the sixth pair of bronchial arterial arches. In the fetal circulation, it directs most of the blood flow from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery into the descending aorta and sends it to the placenta for oxygenation. After birth, patent ductus arteriosus may exist as an independent lesion (can exist alone) or in combination with other cardiovascular malformations, such as coarctation or interruption of the aortic arch, severe aortic stenosis, hypoplastic left heart syndrome and pulmonary atresia, severe pulmonary artery stenosis or as part of a vascular ring.

When the ductus arteriosus is not closed, part of the blood in the aorta is shunted to the pulmonary artery, causing the peripheral arterial diastolic pressure to decrease, resulting in an increase in pulse pressure and the appearance of peripheral vascular signs. In newborns with severe lung disease or persistent pulmonary hypertension, there may be no pressure difference between the aorta and pulmonary arteries or the pulmonary artery pressure may exceed the aortic pressure. At this time, there may be no shunt through the ductus arteriosus or right-to-left shunt may occur, that is, the oxygen-deficient blood in the pulmonary artery flows into the descending aorta to the lower limbs, causing cyanosis of the toes, which is called differential cyanosis.

Is patent ductus arteriosus serious in newborns? Infective endocarditis is an important cause of death in children. Once the disease is discovered, you must go to the hospital for treatment in time without any delay. The child's health is a concern for everyone in the family. Once the disease is discovered, you must go to the hospital for treatment in time without any delay.