Patent Ductus Arteriosus—To Close or Not to Close?

( N Engl J Med . 2024;390(4):370–371) Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is the most frequently encountered cardiac condition in neonates. The ductus arteriosus plays the crucial role of allowing blood to bypass the lungs in the fetal stage. At birth, with the initiation of lung function, changes in pressure and oxygen lead to the closure of the ductus arteriosus, redirecting blood flow through the newly operational pulmonary circulation. When a baby is born too early, birth is not enough to cause the duct to close, resulting in PDA.