Multiple choice

Which of the following statements is true of the fetal circulation?

  1. 100% of the cardiac output goes to the lungs via the pulmonary artery.

  2. The arterial duct (ductus arteriosus) helps send oxygenated blood to the brain.

  3. Blood shunts across the duct ‘left to right’ (from the aorta to the pulmonary artery).

  4. The foramen ovale typically closes by 36 weeks' gestation.

  5. The umbilical vein carries well-oxygenated blood.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

Unusually for a vein, the umbilical vein carries oxygenated blood from the placenta to the IVC via the ductus venosus. Umbilical cord pH is usually higher in the vein than in the artery.

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