Baby circulation right after birth | Circulatory system physiology | NCLEX-RN | Khan Academy
khanacademymedicine・2 minutes read
Fetal adaptations prepare for life in the uterus, while post-birth, significant changes occur in the baby's first moments, hours, and days, including shifts in placenta resistance and lung development leading to oxygenation of blood.
Insights
- Fetal adaptations prepare babies for life in the uterus, while post-birth adaptations are crucial for the baby's transition to independent life, involving significant changes like placenta removal, lung air intake, and circulatory shifts.
- The intricate processes post-birth involve changes in the circulatory system, lung function, and umbilical cord structure, highlighting the swift and complex adjustments newborns undergo to adapt to their new environment, from oxygenation of blood to the gradual closure of vital passages like the foramen ovale and ductus arteriosus.
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Recent questions
What changes occur in a newborn's lungs after birth?
The lungs of a newborn transition from fluid-filled alveoli to air-filled ones, causing arterioles to dilate. This dilation leads to lower resistance in the lungs, allowing deoxygenated blood to flow in for oxygenation. As a result, oxygenated blood enters the left atrium, closing the foramen ovale due to pressure changes.
How does the umbilical cord adapt after birth?
After birth, the umbilical cord gradually narrows as the muscles in its walls tighten. This tightening eventually leads to constriction down to a small portion leading to the umbilicus over a few hours. Despite this constriction, blood continues to flow to other branches, showcasing the adaptation process of the umbilical cord post-birth.
What happens to the placenta after birth?
Following birth, the removal of the placenta leads to a shift from low to high resistance in the vessels connected to it. This change can result in clotting in the vessels, marking a significant adaptation process after the baby is born.
How do fetal adaptations prepare for life in the uterus?
Fetal adaptations occur to prepare for life in the uterus, with changes such as Wharton's jelly contracting around umbilical vessels when exposed to cold air. These adaptations showcase the intricate processes that take place to ensure the well-being of the fetus in the uterus.
Why do deoxygenated blood flow into the right atrium and ventricle after birth?
Deoxygenated blood flows into the right atrium and ventricle after birth as part of the adaptation process. This blood then moves to the lungs, where it undergoes oxygenation before entering the left atrium. This flow pattern is crucial in the transition from fetal to newborn circulation.
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Summary
00:00
Neonatal Adaptations: From Womb to World
- Fetal adaptations prepare for life in the uterus.
- Post-birth, adaptations play crucial roles in the baby's first moments, hours, and days.
- Removal of the placenta and lung air intake are significant changes.
- Wharton's jelly contracts around umbilical vessels when exposed to cold air.
- Placenta removal shifts from low to high resistance, leading to clotting in vessels.
- Deoxygenated blood flows into the right atrium and ventricle, then to the lungs.
- Lungs transition from fluid-filled alveoli to air-filled, causing arterioles to dilate.
- Lower resistance in lungs allows deoxygenated blood to flow in for oxygenation.
- Oxygenated blood enters the left atrium, closing the foramen ovale due to pressure changes.
- Ductus arteriosus constricts due to increased oxygen levels and decreased prostaglandin levels, closing over hours.
12:44
Umbilical cord narrows after birth, adapting quickly.
- The umbilical cord gradually narrows as the muscles in its walls tighten, eventually constricting down to a small portion leading to the umbilicus over a few hours after birth, while blood continues to flow to other branches. These adaptations occur in the minutes, hours, and days following birth, showcasing the remarkable changes taking place in newborns.
