Dear parent,
Premature babies frequently suffer from what is called a patent ductus arteriosus, or PDA for short, which often needs treatment. A PDA occurs because the baby’s blood vessels have not gone through all the changes that normally occur after birth when a baby is born full term. A PDA in a premature baby is therefore not a complicated heart condition.In my experience, it can be difficult for parents to understand what a PDA is and what it means and why it can cause the baby problems. The information presented here is meant for the parents of premature babies, and is intended to answer some of these questions.
The following pages include a picture of the heart and its main blood vessels. The numbers in the text refer to the numbers in the pictures. In medicine, we generally draw images of the body as if looking at the body from the front (like looking in a mirror) so that the right side of the heart is shown on the left and vice-versa.
When you have read through this information, you might still have questions about your baby. Contact the doctor who is responsible for your baby and direct your questions to him/her.
Stockholm, 17th February 2006
Stefan Johansson, Neonatal Specialist
Stockholm, Sweden