Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)

Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a rare birth condition that affects the flow of blood around the heart and lungs.

During pregnancy, while a baby is still in the mother’s womb, a blood vessel called the ductus arteriosus connects the heart’s two main arteries. Once the baby is born, this connection is no longer needed. Normally, it shrinks and closes on its own within a few days.

But for babies with PDA, the ductus stays open. As a result, blood with and without oxygen mixes in the heart in a way that it shouldn’t, and too much blood flows to the lungs. This strains the heart, and over time, can damage the lungs.

This condition is often found in the first few days or weeks of a baby’s life.

• Bluish or grayish lips, skin and nails
• Heart murmur
• Trouble breathing
• Trouble feeding, or not enough energy to feed
• Trouble gaining weight
• Infections
• Low energy and activity
• Poor growth

If PDA isn’t detected early, it can go undetected until later in life, and the symptoms – like feeling tired or short of breath – can seem like other conditions.
 

Doctors don’t know exactly what causes this heart condition.

PDA is more common in premature babies, and can occur with other heart problems. It’s also more common among babies with neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, babies with genetic disorders such as Down syndrome, and babies whose mothers were infected with rubella (German measles) during pregnancy.