Patent Foramen Ovale

Not many of us know the existence of such a hole in baby. We had just done echo diagram on Aqeel for his Kawasaki follow up and the doctor explain this to us. He found that There is a small hole in Aqeel's heart and being a mother of course I freak out. However, the doctor explain that every baby has it when they are in the womb.

It is actually a normal opening between the left and right atria (upper chambers) of the heart. Usually the opening is close by stage and there are cases where the opening does not close at all.

A foramen ovale allows blood to bypass the lungs. A baby's lungs are not used when it grows in the womb, so the hole does not cause problems in an unborn infant. In about 1 out of 4 people, the opening never closes. If it does not, it is called a patent foramen ovale (PFO). The cause of a PFO is unknown. There are no known risk factors. This condition will not be treated if the baby does not have other heart abnormalities. Based on the scan he done on Aqeel, there is no other heart problem following to his Kawasaki disease. Alhamdulillah.. The doctor has set a one year appointment for us as he wants to see whether the hole is closed or not.