Most of the blood flows across to the left atrium through a shunt called the foramen ovale.įrom the left atrium, blood moves down into the lower chamber of the heart (the left ventricle). When oxygenated blood from the mother enters the right side of the heart, it flows into the upper chamber (the right atrium). Here is what happens inside the fetal heart: But most of this highly oxygenated blood flows to a large vessel called the inferior vena cava and then into the right atrium of the heart. This allows some of the blood to go to the liver. There it moves through a shunt called the ductus venosus. This enriched blood flows through the umbilical vein toward the baby’s liver. Oxygen and nutrients from the mother's blood are transferred across the placenta to the fetus through the umbilical cord. Circulating blood bypasses the lungs and liver by flowing in different pathways and through special openings called shunts.īlood flow in the unborn baby follows this pathway: While still in the uterus, the baby's lungs aren't being used. Waste products and carbon dioxide from the baby are sent back through the umbilical cord blood vessels and placenta to the mother's circulation to be eliminated. The unborn baby is connected to the placenta by the umbilical cord.Īll the necessary nutrition, oxygen, and life support from the mother’s blood goes through the placenta and to the baby through blood vessels in the umbilical cord. The placenta is the organ that develops and implants in the mother's womb (uterus) during pregnancy. Since the fetus doesn’t breathe air, their blood circulates differently than it does after birth: How does the fetal circulatory system work?ĭuring pregnancy, the unborn baby (fetus) depends on its mother for nourishment and oxygen.
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