Quick Facts topic

Cardiac Function (Fetus)

Figure 1 : The fetal circulation. The colors indicate the oxygen saturation of the blood, and the arrows show the course of the blood from the placenta to the heart. Observe that three shunts permit most of the blood to bypass the liver and lungs: ductus venosus, foramen ovale, and ductus arteriosus. The poorly oxygenated blood returns to the placenta for oxygen and nutrients through the umbilical arteries. (From Moore K, Persaud TVN: Before We Are Born: Essentials of Embryology and Birth Defects, 6th ed. Philadelphia, WB Saunders, 2003.)

Anatomy

Oxygenated blood from placenta returns to fetus through umbilical venous system (Fig. 1)

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