Patent Ductus Arteriosus
Failure of a child's DA to close after birth results in a condition called patent ductus arteriosus and the generation of a left-to-right shunt. If left uncorrected, patency leads to pulmonary hypertension and possibly congestive heart failure and cardiac arrhythmias. Prostaglandins are responsible for maintaining the ductus arteriosus by dilation of the vascular smooth muscles. Closure may be induced with NSAIDs because these drugs inhibit prostaglandin synthesis.
A patent ductus arteriosus affects around 40% of infants with Down syndrome (DS). A failure to thrive is a very common sign of this condition.
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