Written September 11, 2013 6:54am
I thought I'd drop a quick explanation of PDA or Patent Ductus Arteriosus.
PDA is very common in premature babies. In Evan's case, we were told that he has mild to moderate PDA. He didn't experience any symptoms of the PDA in the first 8 days of life so they decided to wait it out. The medication to treat the PDA can be harsh on the developing system. As Evan was okay, the doctors didn't want to put him on the medication too early.
Because I'm not a doctor (yet!), I'll let the National Institutes of Health (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/pda/) explain PDA.
When a baby is born with PDA, abnormal blood flow occurs between two of the major arteries connected to the heart. These arteries are the aorta and the pulmonary artery.
Before birth, these arteries are connected by a blood vessel called the ductus arteriosus. This blood vessel is a vital part of the fetal blood circulation.
Within minutes or up to a few days after birth, the ductus arteriosus closes. This change is normal in (full term) newborns.
In some babies, however, the ductus arteriosus remains open. The opening allows oxygen-rich blood from the aorta to mix with oxygen-poor blood from the pulmonary artery. This can strain the heart and increase blood pressure in the lung arteries.
Evan's doctors are monitoring his PDA with frequent echos. He has a follow up echo scheduled the morning on September 11th to see if the medication (Indocin) was effective.
I typically need to know the worst case scenarios (what if the medicine doesn't work, what happens next, will he need surgery, where does the surgery happen, etc). For some reason, I'm taking Evan's PDA on a day-by-day status. It's easy to get caught up Googling other babies and their treatment. Evan is his own little man and he'll do things his way.
Hopefully this helps a little bit with understanding PDA. Just remember, it's very common in premature babies. It is treatable and it shouldn't (won't!) have lasting effects on Evan's quality of life.
PDA is very common in premature babies. In Evan's case, we were told that he has mild to moderate PDA. He didn't experience any symptoms of the PDA in the first 8 days of life so they decided to wait it out. The medication to treat the PDA can be harsh on the developing system. As Evan was okay, the doctors didn't want to put him on the medication too early.
Because I'm not a doctor (yet!), I'll let the National Institutes of Health (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/pda/) explain PDA.
When a baby is born with PDA, abnormal blood flow occurs between two of the major arteries connected to the heart. These arteries are the aorta and the pulmonary artery.
Before birth, these arteries are connected by a blood vessel called the ductus arteriosus. This blood vessel is a vital part of the fetal blood circulation.
Within minutes or up to a few days after birth, the ductus arteriosus closes. This change is normal in (full term) newborns.
In some babies, however, the ductus arteriosus remains open. The opening allows oxygen-rich blood from the aorta to mix with oxygen-poor blood from the pulmonary artery. This can strain the heart and increase blood pressure in the lung arteries.
Evan's doctors are monitoring his PDA with frequent echos. He has a follow up echo scheduled the morning on September 11th to see if the medication (Indocin) was effective.
I typically need to know the worst case scenarios (what if the medicine doesn't work, what happens next, will he need surgery, where does the surgery happen, etc). For some reason, I'm taking Evan's PDA on a day-by-day status. It's easy to get caught up Googling other babies and their treatment. Evan is his own little man and he'll do things his way.
Hopefully this helps a little bit with understanding PDA. Just remember, it's very common in premature babies. It is treatable and it shouldn't (won't!) have lasting effects on Evan's quality of life.
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