UNDERSTANDING FETAL CIRCULATION AND THE TRANSITION TO POSTNATAL CIRCULATION: SHUNTS, PLACENTA AND CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS

Do you know how blood circulates within the fetus? Is the mother's blood mixed with the fetus's blood? If the mother has AIDS, why doesn't the fetus get infected with AIDS? Fetal circulation is an intriguing process that differs from blood circulation in adults. For instance, adult blood circulation involves two distinct circulatory systems: systemic circulation and pulmonary circulation. In contrast, fetal circulation exhibits a mixed blood circulation.