Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)

Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA): The PDA is a normal structure in the fetus, in premature infants and in newborn babies. It usually closes all by itself in the first 2 days of life.

See the diagram, and note that the PDA is a blood vessel, which connects the pulmonary arteries (PAs) to the aorta (AO). In the normal heart, the pressure in the AO is higher than it is in the PA, which means that every time blood is pumped into the AO, some of the blood which, should be circulated to the body (red blood) gets pumped into the PA (blue blood). This extra blood to the lungs can cause problems in premature infants, making it necessary to close the PDA with medicine or by surgery. Overtime, the PDA can cause harm in larger infants and children, although many people have gone through life with small, silent PDAs. PDAs can be closed by cardiac catheterization or by surgery in older babies and children.

In some heart defects, it is necessary for the PDA remain open. In these cases, doctors will give babies a medication known as prostaglandins (PGE1) through an intravenous line (IV).