Fetal Circulation
ㅤ | ㅤ |
Heart Beat | • Starts by 21st day (3rd -4th week) |
Cardiac activity | • Visible on USG by 6th-7th week |
Pathway Overview

Umbilical Cord Contents
- Contains: 1 vein & 2 arteries (70%)
- Single umbilical artery
- 5-10/1000 live births
- A/w ↑↑ risk of a renal anomaly in the baby
Constituents | Function |
2 umbilical arteries | Carry deoxygenated blood from fetus. |
1 umbilical vein | Carries oxygenated blood to fetus. (SpO2 -80%) |
Wharton's jelly | Gelatinous substance |
Allantois | Early urine formation → becomes urachus |
Vitello-intestinal duct | between yolk sac and midgut |
Order of Decreasing Saturation of O2
- Umbilical vein: 80%
- Inferior vena cava (IVC): 70%
- LV: 65% > RV: 55-60%
- Superior vena cava
Where would you place the pulse oximeter to measure preductal oxygen saturation in an infant who was born 3 minutes ago?
A. Left upper limb
B. Left lower limb
C. Right upper limb
D. Right lower limb
B. Left lower limb
C. Right upper limb
D. Right lower limb
ANS
Right upper limb
Key Fetal Shunts
Shunts | Connects | Bypasses |
Ductus venosus | (L) umbilical vein to IVC | Liver |
Foramen ovale | Right atrium to left atrium. | RV |
Ductus arteriosus | Pulmonary trunk to aorta. | Lungs |
Changes After Birth

- Lungs become the source of O2 instead of the placenta
- Pulmonary vascular resistance decreases:
- Blood flow to the lung increases
- produces systolic murmur
- Systemic vascular resistance ↑↑↑
- Foramen ovale closes
Additional Notes on Remnants
- Septum primum → Fossa ovalis.
- Septum secundum → Limbus fossa ovalis.
Closure of Structures
- Anatomical: Order V (Veno) Are (Art) Onnikkunnu (Ovale)
Structure | Trigger | Functional Closure | Anatomical Closure | Remnant |
Ductus venosus | After removal of placenta | within mins | 7 days | Ligamentum venosus |
Foramen ovale | At birth after breathing + Removal of placenta | within mins | 3 Months to 1 years | Fossa Ovalis |
Ductus arteriosus | ↑ pO2 when O2 enters lungs + Prostaglandins | 10–15 hours after birth d/t smooth muscle contraction → Temporary ↓ in flow just after birth | 10–21 days Up to 3 months D/t proliferation of cells of the intima of ductus arteriosus | Ligamentum arteriosus PGE1 analogues/ Alprostadil helps in maintaining patent ductus arteriosus |
- Anatomical Closure time
- Vein → close fast → 1 week
- Artery → 3 week
- Heart → 3 months
- Pathways coming after Placenta closes functionally immediately after its removal
- Like Foramen ovale and Ductus venosus
- Foramen ovale closure Process:
- Blood goes to lungs via pulmonary vein.
- LA pressure ↑↑ and RA pressure ↓↓
- Fusion of septum primum and secundum.
- Closure of foramen ovale.
Applied Anatomy

- Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA):
- Causes acyanotic heart disease.
- Probe patency of foramen ovale:
- Gap between septum primum and septum secundum (seen in 20% cases).
- Not a functional defect.
Umbilical Remnants:
- Umbilical arteries → 2
- Obliterate before birth.
- Remnant:
- Proximal part → Superior vesical artery.
- Distal part → Obliterated umbilical artery → Medial umbilical ligament
- NOTE
- Lateral umbilical ligament
- Remnant of Inferior Epigastric vessels
- Umbilical vein (left) → 1
- Obliterates after closure of umbilical artery.
- Remnant: Ligamentum teres hepatis.
Formation of Right Ventricle and IVS
Bulbus cordis
- Part of conus of Heart Tube or Conus arteriosus
- Proximal 1/3rd → Rough inflowing/trabeculated Part of RV
- Middle 1/3rd → Smooth Outflowing/Infundibulum part of RV
- Distal 1/3rd → Spiral septum/Bulbar septum → Interventricular Septum
- IVS separates LV and RV.


Initial Stage
- Begins with proliferation of AV cushions .
- Common atrial chamber and common ventricular chamber are present.
- After cardiac looping, the atrial end is above and behind ventricular end.

Common ventricular chamber development
- Divides into:
- Primitive ventricle
- forms trabeculated part of LV
- Proximal 1/3rd of bulbus cordis
- forms trabeculated/rough inflowing part of RV
- A fuse forms between these parts.
NOTE
- Smooth outflowing part aka Infundibulum of Both Ventricles
- leading to Pulmonary trunk
- From conus > middle 1/3rd of bulbus cordis
- (bulbus is a part of conus of Heart Tube or Conus arteriosus)
- NOTE: Smooth parts of
- RA → Body, Right horn of sinus venosus (septum spurium)
- LA → Primitive Pulmonary Vein
- Left horn of sinus venosus → Coronary sinus
- Common cardinal vein → SVC
Interventricular Septum (IVS) Formation

- IVS has two main parts:
- Muscular part:
- Grows from the floor of heart muscles
- Membranous part:
- Develops from Bulbar septum >> Spiral septum
- Additional contributions from
- Tissue proliferation from AV cushions
Formation of Interatrial Septum

Initial Stage:
- Common atrial chamber contains:
- Right atrium (RA)
- Left atrium (LA)
- Septum primum (SP)
- Grow downwards from the roof.
- Ostium primum:
- Temporary gap between SP and endocardial cushion.
- Allows right to left (R→L) shunting of blood.
- AV canal → Site of AV endocardial cushion formation.

Progression:
- SP grows → closes ostium primum.
- Before complete closure, Ostium secundum forms
- (via apoptosis in upper SP)
- Ensures continued R→L shunting of blood.
Septum Secundum Formation:
- Grows to the right of SP.
- Septum secundum (SS) is incomplete, leaves a gap:
- Foramen ovale → Opening between SP and SS.
- Other structures involved:
- Septum spurium
- Right venous valve
- Left venous valve
- Sinus atrial orifice
Fetal Circulation Summary:
- Oxygenated blood shunted from RA → LA via:
- Foramen ovale → Ostium secundum → LA
Postnatal Changes:
- At birth:
- Lungs begin function → ↑ pressure in LA
- Causes fusion of SP and SS
- Foramen ovale closes
Fates of Structures:
- Septum primum → Fossa ovalis
- Septum secundum → Limbus fossa ovalis
Applied Aspect:
- In 20% of individuals:
- Foramen ovale remains patent
- Known as probe patency of foramen ovale
- Only anatomical, not functional
Bulbus Cordis
Bulbus cordis
- Part of conus of Heart Tube or Conus arteriosus
- Proximal 1/3rd → Rough inflowing/trabeculated Part of RV
- Middle 1/3rd → Smooth Outflowing/Infundibulum part of RV
- Distal 1/3rd → Spiral septum/Bulbar septum → Interventricular Septum


- Neural crest cells → Distal 1/3rd (Truncus arteriosus) of bulbus cordis
- Conotruncal septum.
- It divides into:
- Spiral septum
- Divides truncus arteriosus into:
- Aorta (From LV)
- Pulmonary trunk (From RV)
- Bulbar septum
- Forms interventricular septum.
Spiral Septum Abnormalities
- Displaced anteriorly
- Leads to Tetralogy of Fallot.
- Pulmonary stenosis.
- Overriding of aorta.
- Enlarged right ventricle.
- Ventricular septal defect.
- Non-spiral course
- Leads to Transposition of great arteries.
- Aorta: Arising from RV.
- Pulmonary trunk: Arising from LV.
- Absent
- Leads to Persistent Truncus arteriosus.
- Due to non-migration of neural crest cells.
Persistent Truncus arteriosus
- Spiral septum never formed
- Sitting duck appearance

Transposition of great arteries

- Associated with maternal diabetes DM

- Parallel Circulation
- The cardiac silhouette shows
- “Egg on the side”
- Egg on string appearance.
- Important
- Septum dependent heart ds
- Keep PDA Open
- ↑ pulmonary blood flow
- Narrow Pedicle

- Not compatible with life unless a/w ASD + PDA
- Keep PDA open up to surgery
- IV Prostaglandin E1
- To make ASD
- Atrial Septoplasty
- Rashkind's Balloon Atrial Septostomy immediately
- Definitive surgery - Jatene's arterial switch operation by two weeks of age
- Mnemonic: Thenga → TGA → Emergency Rush (Rashkind) to surgery, Jiitne keliye (Jatene)
TOF


- Most common congenital cyanotic heart disease in children
- The most common congenital cyanotic heart disease beyond infancy
- 4 Components of TOF
- Large non-restrictive VSD
- Pulmonary infundibular stenosis
- Overriding of aorta
- Right ventricular hypertrophy
- NOTE:
- ASD is a component of the
- trilogy and pentalogy of Fallot
- Pentalogy = TOF + ASD
- NOT tetralogy of Fallot
Pathophysiology and Clinical Features

- Pulmonary artery stenosis
- ↓↓ blood pumped to the lungs
Clinical Features
- Cyanosis (central) due to hypoxia: spo2=75-85%
- Clubbing
- Polycythemia
- Cyanotic spells
- Small → knee chest position
- Older → squatting position
- Heart failure is NOT SEEN unless
- Anemia
- Infective endocarditis
- Myocarditis
- Systemic hypertension
- Shunt is Right-to-Left shunt through VSD
- Reversal of shunt is NEVER SEEN in TOF
- NO Eisenmenger syndrome
- Reason
- TOF = congenital right-to-left shunt from the beginning.
- Due to Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction (RVOTO) → ↑ Right Ventricular pressure > Left ventricle
- Auscultatory Findings
- Ejection systolic murmur in the pulmonary area
- Single S2 (P2 is soft and inaudible)
Severity of TOF

- Lesser blood goes across pulmonary valve
- Murmur is shorter and softer
- More severe cyanosis
Investigations

- Chest X-ray:
- Boot-Shaped Heart (or) 'Cor En Sabot' Appearance
- D/t RVH
- + Pulmonary Oligemia
Treatment

- Moist O2 inhalation (to reduce hypoxia)
- Inj. Sodium Bicarbonate (to neutralize acidosis)
- Morphine
- Ketamine (increases systemic vascular resistance)
- Alpha agonists (phenylephrine)
- Beta — blockers (Propranolol): decreases pulmonary infundibular spasm
- Cyanotic spells
- Squatting or knee-chest position
- PRBCs transfusion
Definitive (corrective) Sx
- VSD closure +
- Repair of pulmonary stenosis
Shunt (palliative) Sx
Shunt | Pulmonary Artery conn to | Notes |
Blalock Taussig shunt | Subclavian Art | • Lock subclavian • Gortex graft |
Waterson’s shunt | Ascending Aorta | • Water Up |
Pott’s shunt | Descending Aorta | • Pot Down |
