Scientists find clues to baby blood vessel problem
Filed under: Baby health — Alan @ 3:21 am
Scientists are a step closer to understanding how and why a blood vessel in the foetus can fail to close shortly after its birth.
The blood vessel is known as the ductus arteriosus and its failure causes heart failure and high blood pressure within the lungs. The area is also responsible for the blood forming clots.
The study was published in the journal of Nature Medicine by a German team of researchers working at the Technischen University in Munich.
The vessel in question is small in size but is responsible for connecting the aorta and the pulmonary artery effectively allowing the blood from the right portion of the heart to pass by the lungs. This allows the left side of the heart to get the blood it needs and the lungs relief.
However, the vessel is supposed to close just a few hours after birth once its work is done, but in some babies this does not happen causing a medical condition referred to as patient ductus arteriosus.
When not promptly corrected, it can lead to dizziness and shortness of breath due to pressure that builds up in the lung blood vessels. Over time, left untreated, the condition leads to congestive heart failure and irregular heart rhythms.
The condition was found to occur more commonly in babies that were born with a low birth weight prematurely and in those that did not have a high amount of blood platelets.
The scientists speculate in their research that a transfusion after birth may prevent the condition.
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