Diseases

Patent Ducts

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Patent ductus arteriosus (pda) is a condition in which the ductus arteriosus does not close. The word "patent" means open. The ductus arteriosus is a blood vessel that allows blood to go around the baby's lungs before birth.

SYMPTOMS

A small pda may cause no symptoms, but a large one may cause poor eating, failure to thrive or breathlessness.
Respiratory: fast breathing, respiratory distress, or shortness of breath
Heart: murmur or fast heart rate
Also common: easy tiring, failure to thrive, lack of interest in feeding in infants, or sweating with eating or crying

CAUSES

Patent ductus arteriosus (pda) is a fairly commoncongenital heart defect that occurs in about 3,000 newborns every year in the united states, according to the cleveland clinic. It occurs when a temporary blood vessel, called the ductus arteriosus, doesn't close soon after birth. Symptoms may be minimal or severe