1. Mike Haines, MPH, RRT-NPS, AE-C
Fetal Circulation
Mike Haines, MPH, RRT-NPS, AE-C

2. Heart Chambers and Valves

3. Heart Innervation Heart receives visceral motor innervation
Sympathetic (speeds up)
Parasympathetic (slows down)

4. Heart and Lung
There are numerous cardiac and pulmonary entities which cause neonatal morbidity and mortality.
Many pulmonary issues (eg. croup, bronchiolitis, pneumonia, etc.) have been discussed previously.
The focus today will be on congenital heart disease.

5. Heart Congenital heart disease (CHD) occurs in 1/125 live births.
Neonates may present with a variety of non-specific findings, including:
- tachypnea
- cyanosis
- pallor
- lethargy
- FTT
- sweating with feeds
More specific findings include:
- pathological murmurs - hypertension
- abnormal pulses syncope

6. Neonatal cardiac physiology
The transformation from fetal to neonatal circulation involves two major changes:
A marked increase in systemic resistance.
caused by loss of the low-resistance placenta.
2. A marked decrease in pulmonary resistance.
caused by pulmonary artery dilation with the neonate’s first breaths.

7. Fetal Circulation No circulation to lungs Foramen ovale
Ductus arteriosum
Circulation must go to placenta
Umbilical aa., vv.

10. Fetal cardiac physiology
Fetal circulation:
Blood flows from the placenta
 IVC
 RA
 through the PFO
 LA
 LV
 ascending aorta
 brain
 returns via the SVC

11. Fetal cardiac physiology
Fetal circulation:
From the SVC
 RA
 RV
 pulm aa
 through the PDA
 descending aorta
 lower extremities and placenta

12. Fetal cardiac physiology
Fetal circulation:
Only a very small amount of blood is directed through the right and left pulmonary aa’s to the lungs.

13. Neonatal cardiac physiology
Neonate circulation:
The transformation to neonatal circulation occurs with the first few breaths.
The two remaining remnants of the fetal circulation are a patent foramen ovale...
and ductus arteriosus.

14. Congenital Heart Disease
Neonates with CHD often rely on a patent ductus arteriosus and/or foramen ovale to sustain life.
Unfortunately for these neonates, both of these passages begins to close following birth.
The ductus normally closes by 72hrs.
The foramen ovale normally closes by 3 months.

15. CHD
That being said, in the presence of hypoxia or acidosis (generally present in ductus-dependent lesions), the ductus may remain open for a longer period of time.
As a result, these patients often present to the ED during the first 1-3 weeks of life.
i.e. as the ductus begins to close.

16. Classifying CHD
There are many different classification systems for CHD.
None are particularly good.
I will be discussing the Pink/Blue/Grey-Baby system:
Pink Baby – Left to right shunt
Blue Baby – Right to left shunt
Grey Baby – LV outflow tract obstruction

17. Pink Baby (L  R shunt)
L  R shunts cause CHF and pulmonary hypertension.
This leads to RV enlargement, RV failure, and cor pulmonale.
These babies present with CHF and respiratory distress.
They are not typically cyanotic.

18. Pink Baby (L  R shunt)
These lesions include (among others) ASD’s, VSD’s, and persistently patent ductus arteriosus.
VSD
ASD

19. Persistently patent ductus arteriosus
Pink Baby (L  R shunt)
Persistently patent ductus arteriosus

20. Pink Baby (L  R shunt) Diagnosing L  R shunts depends on:
1. Examination findings:
Non-cyanotic infant in resp distress.
Crackles, widely-fixed second heart sound, elevated JVP, cor pulmonale.
2. CXR:
Increased pulmonary vasculature (suggestive of CHF).
RA and/or RV enlargement.

21. Pink Baby (L  R shunt)
Initial management should be directed at reducing the pulm edema.
Adminster Lasix 1mg/kg IV.
Peds Cardiology/ PICU should be consulted urgently regarding use of:
Morphine
Nitrates
Digoxin
Inotropes

22. Blue Baby (R  L shunt)
R  L shunts cause hypoxia and central cyanosis.
Neither hypoxia or cyanosis tend to improve with 100% oxygen.
R  L lesions include (among others):
Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF)
Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA)

23. Tetralogy of Fallot * * * *
Characterized by:
Pulmonary aa OTO
RV hypertrophy
VSD
Over-riding aorta
With severe pulmonary OTO... * * *
bloodflow to the lungs may be highly ductus-dependent. *

24. Tetralogy of Fallot Pulmonary vasculature is typically decreased.
The classic CXR finding in TOF is the boot-shaped heart.
Pulmonary vasculature is typically decreased.

25. Transposition of the Great Arteries
TGA is the most common cyanotic lesion presenting in the first week of life.
Anatomically:
RV  aorta
LV  pulmonary aa
To be compatible with life, mixing of the two circulations must occur via an ASD, VSD, or PDA.

26. Transposition of the Great Arteries
The CXR findings in TGA are typically less dramatic than in TOF.
Pulmonary vasculature is typically increased.

27. Blue Baby (R  L shunt)
Hypoxia and cyanosis (unresponsive to oxygen) in the neonatal period suggests a ductus-dependent lesion.
Treatment is a prostaglandin-E1 (PGE1) infusion.
Dosing discussed momentarily
This should obviously be accompanied by urgent Peds Cardiology and PICU consultation.

28. Grey Baby (LVOTO) X
Left-ventricular outflow tract obstructions (LVOTO’s) lead to cyanosis, acidosis, and shock early in the neonatal period.
Complete obstruction is universally fatal unless shunting occurs through an ASD, VSD, or PDA.
Examples of these lesions include:
Severe coarctation of the aorta
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS)

29. Grey Baby (LVOTO) Treatment:
Any neonate presenting with shock unresponsive to fluids +/- pressors has a LVOTO until proven otherwise.
As with the Blue babies, appropriate management is an urgent PGE1 infusion and emergent consultation.

30. Prostaglandin-E1 PGE1 promotes ductus arteriosus patency.
Use an IV infusion at ug/kg/min.
A response should be seen within 15 min.
If ineffective, try doubling the dose.
If effective, try halving the dose.
The lowest possible dose should be used– as adverse-effects of PGE1 can include:
- fever
- flushing
- diarrhea
- periodic apnea (be ready to intubate)

31. Remnants of Fetal Circulation
Ligamentum teres = Round ligament
Remnant of the umbilical vein
Anterior abdominal wall
Ligamentum venosum
Remnant of ductus venosum
On liver’s inferior surface
Medial Umbilical Ligaments
Remnant of umbilical arteries
Anterior abdominal wall below navel
Also gives branch to urinary bladder