Patient's question:
Medical Description: My baby is now four months old. Today, during a color Doppler ultrasound at the hospital, it was found that the foramen ovale is patent with a width of 2 mm. Will it close in the future?Treatment History and Effect: No treatment has been administered.
Help Needed: What should I do if it does not close?
Doctor's answer:
When a child is born, with the first cry, the pressure in the left atrium rises, and the foramen ovale valve is pressed against the margin of the foramen ovale, forming functional closure. However, anatomical complete closure generally does not occur until 5–7 months after birth. Therefore, it is possible for the foramen ovale to remain open within the first year of life, with a small amount of shunting. In fact, 5–10% of people may have a patent foramen ovale that remains open throughout their lives without any impact on cardiac hemodynamics. Thus, a patent foramen ovale during infancy is a normal physiological phenomenon and not a congenital heart disease, generally requiring no surgery. However, if the defect in the central part of the atrial septum is large, greater than 8–10 millimeters, with significant shunting, it is referred to as a central atrial septal defect and requires surgical repair. The optimal timing for surgery should be when the child is between 2–4 years old.