What is patent ductus arteriosus?
Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a persistent opening between the two major blood vessels leading from the heart. The opening, called the ductus arteriosus, is a normal part of a baby's circulatory system before birth that usually closes shortly after birth.
A small patent ductus arteriosus often doesn't cause problems and might never need treatment. However, a large patent ductus arteriosus left untreated can allow poorly oxygenated blood to flow in the wrong direction, weakening the heart muscle and causing heart failure and other complications.
Treatment options for a patent ductus arteriosus include monitoring, medications, and closure by cardiac catheterization or surgery.
A large PDA found might cause:
- Poor eating, which leads to poor growth
- Sweating with crying or eating
- Persistent fast breathing or breathlessness
- Easy tiring
- Rapid heart rate
When to see a doctor
Contact the doctor if your baby or older child:
- Tires easily when eating or playing
- Isn't gaining weight
- Becomes breathless when eating or crying
- Always breathes rapidly or is short of breath
Congenital heart defects arise from problems early in the heart's development — but there's often no clear cause. Genetic factors might play a role.
Source:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/patent-ductus-arteriosus/symptoms-causes/syc-20376145
