What is the pathway for fetal blood circulation?
Blood flow in the unborn baby follows this pathway: Oxygen and nutrients from the mother’s blood are transferred across the placenta to the fetus through the umbilical cord. This enriched blood flows through the umbilical vein toward the baby’s liver. There it moves through a shunt called the ductus venosus.
How does blood flow through the fetal heart step by step?
Inside the fetal heart:
- Blood enters the right atrium, the chamber on the upper right side of the heart.
- Blood then passes into the left ventricle (lower chamber of the heart) and then to the aorta, (the large artery coming from the heart).
What are the 3 fetal shunts?
Three shunts in the fetal circulation
- Ductus arteriosus. � protects lungs against circulatory overload. � allows the right ventricle to strengthen.
- Ductus venosus. � fetal blood vessel connecting the umbilical vein to the IVC.
- Foramen ovale. � shunts highly oxygenated blood from right atrium to left atrium.
What happens to the shunts after birth?
The purpose of these shunts is to bypass the lungs and liver. That’s because these organs will not work fully until after birth. The shunt that bypasses the lungs is called the foramen ovale. This shunt moves blood from the right atrium of the heart to the left atrium.
What is foramen ovale in fetal circulation?
The shunt that bypasses the lungs is called the foramen ovale. This shunt moves blood from the right atrium of the heart to the left atrium. The ductus arteriosus moves blood from the pulmonary artery to the aorta. Oxygen and nutrients from the mother’s blood are sent across the placenta to the fetus.
How does a fetus get oxygen?
Share on Pinterest The umbilical cord provides a baby with oxygen-rich blood in the womb. After 5-6 weeks of pregnancy, the umbilical cord develops to deliver oxygen directly to the developing fetus’s body. The umbilical cord connects to the placenta, which is connected to the uterus.
What are the 4 shunts in fetal circulation?
Blood circulation after birth The closure of the ductus arteriosus, ductus venosus, and foramen ovale completes the change of fetal circulation to newborn circulation.
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