What is an Atrial Septal Defect?
Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2010 12:45 pm
hello
The heart is divided into four chambers. The septum or wall separates the top two chambers, called the atria. In some cases, a portion of this wall fails to form in the fetal heart. The result is an atrial septal defect (ASD).
All infants have a small opening in their atria right after birth, called a foramen ovale. Sometimes, as the fetal heart forms, lower pressure in the right heart causes the left atrium to send more blood through the foramen ovale, creating a larger than usual hole. While the normal foramen ovale closes shortly after the baby is born, this larger hole may not close and is termed an atrial septal defect.
Thanks
The heart is divided into four chambers. The septum or wall separates the top two chambers, called the atria. In some cases, a portion of this wall fails to form in the fetal heart. The result is an atrial septal defect (ASD).
All infants have a small opening in their atria right after birth, called a foramen ovale. Sometimes, as the fetal heart forms, lower pressure in the right heart causes the left atrium to send more blood through the foramen ovale, creating a larger than usual hole. While the normal foramen ovale closes shortly after the baby is born, this larger hole may not close and is termed an atrial septal defect.
Thanks