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Definition of Foetal circulation
1. Noun. The system of blood vessels and structures through which blood moves in a fetus.
Medical Definition of Foetal circulation
1. The blood circulation in the foetus before birth. Before birth, the blood from the heart headed for the lungs in the aptly named pulmonary artery is shunted away from the lungs and returned to the greatest of arteries, the aorta. This arterial shunting occurs through a short vessel called the ductus arteriosus. When the shunt is open, it is said to be patent (pronounced pá tent). The ductus arteriosus usually tourniquets itself off at or shortly after birth. After closure of the ductus, blood is permitted from that time on to course freely to the lungs. Sometimes, however, the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) persists and simply will not close by itself. Surgery is then done to ligate (tie off) the ductus PDA ligation is a closed-heart operation. Historically, it was one of the earliest surgical procedures performed in children with cardiovascular disease. (12 Dec 1998)
Lexicographical Neighbors of Foetal Circulation
Literary usage of Foetal circulation
Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:
1. Handbook of Physiology by William Dobinson Halliburton (1913)
"... which vigorously absorb the vital stain store also glycogen, fat, and haemoglobin
temporarily before these substances pass into the foetal circulation. ..."
2. A Textbook of Physiology by Michael Foster (1891)
"About the middle of intra-uterine life, when the foetal circulation is in full
development, the blood flowing along the umbilical vein (see Fig. ..."
3. On the Anatomy of Vertebrates by Richard Owen (1868)
"foetal circulation.—The early stages in the development of the vascular system
closely correspond, in Mammals, with those in Birds (vol. ii. p. 263, fig. ..."
4. Outlines of Comparative Anatomy of Vertebrates by John Sterling Kingsley (1917)
"The Fatal Circulation Some features of the foetal circulation of the amniotes
have already been alluded to, but the whole may be summarized here. ..."
5. The Medical and Surgical Reporter (1881)
"... late ligation furnishes an invaluable means of restoring the equilibrium of
the foetal circulation. Simple Remedy in Fetid Sweating of the Feet. ..."
6. Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal (1835)
"The first injection of the foetal blood-vessels, noticed in the remarks upon some
of the peculiarities of the foetal circulation, was performed not upon a ..."
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