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Card 6 / 9:
Describe how the newborn’s first breath alters the circulatory pattern.
The first breath inflates the lungs, which drops blood pressure throughout the pulmonary system, as well as in the right atrium and ventricle. In response to this pressure change, the flow of blood temporarily reverses direction through the foramen ovale, moving from the left to the right atrium, and blocking the shunt with two flaps of tissue. The increased oxygen concentration also constricts the ductus arteriosus, ensuring that these shunts no longer prevent blood from reaching the lungs to be oxygenated.
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