Q25.0: Patent ductus arteriosus

Major, important blood vessels branch out of the heart. The main artery (aorta), originating from the left lower chamber (ventricle) of the heart, supplies the whole body with oxygen-rich blood. The right ventricle pumps oxygen-poor blood through the pulmonary artery to the lungs, where the blood is then enriched with oxygen.

Before they are born, babies get oxygen through their umbilical cord. There is no air in the lungs before a baby is born. This means that blood from the right lower chamber (ventricle) of the heart mostly flows directly into the body, rather than through the lungs. There is a connection between the pulmonary artery and the aorta for this purpose.

This connection normally closes up shortly after birth. However, you have a connection between the pulmonary artery and aorta that did not close up.

If the connection between the pulmonary artery and aorta does not close up, then blood continues to flow through this connection after birth. In this case, however, blood flows in the opposite direction from the aorta into the pulmonary artery. This creates additional blood flow between the heart and the lungs. This means that the heart and lungs are under greater strain. The body may not be adequately supplied with oxygen.

You may have various symptoms with this disease. It may inhibit normal growth during childhood. You may also feel weak or be short of breath. If the heart and the lungs are put under a lot of strain due to additional blood flow, you can become seriously ill.