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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffSigns and symptoms of a patent ductus arteriosus vary with the size of the defect and the gestational age of the infant at birth. A small patent ductus may cause no signs or symptoms, and may go undetected for some time. A larger one can cause signs of heart failure soon after birth. A premature infant may have other problems associated with prematurity, and related testing may uncover a heart defect.
Your doctor may first suspect a heart defect during a regular checkup while listening to your baby's heart through a stethoscope.
A large patent ductus arteriosus may cause:
- Poor eating, poor growth
- Sweating with crying or play
- Persistent fast breathing or breathlessness
- Easy tiring
- Rapid heart rate
- Frequent lung infections
