A young couple that you are friends with gave birth to a new baby. They were tol

Question

A young couple that you are friends with gave birth to a new baby. They were told by their physician that the foramen ovale did not close between the right atrium and left atrium (i.e., that their baby has “a hole in her heart”). They know that you are a nurse and have come to you to help them to understand what is going on. Explain both the normal flow of blood through the heart and the flow with the foramen ovale still open. Include in your description the concept of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood.

Explanation / Answer

Right side of the heart contains deoxygenated blood coming from the veins, and the right side of the heart contains oxygenated blood. In normal blood flow atrial walls prevent the mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood.

During fetal development the inter-atrial septum develops to eventually separate the left and right atria. The foramen ovale remains open during fetal development. In the given case, the baby’s foramen ovale is still open, which allows blood to enter the left atrium from the right atrium. So, the deoxygenated blood is mixed with oxygenated blood present in the left side of the heart. This is fatal to the baby.

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