RT Journal
A1 Sissman NJ
T1 PAtent ductus arteriosus, prematurity, and respiratory distress syndrome
JF JAMA
JO JAMA
YR 1989
FD June 16
VO 261
IS 23
SP 3410
OP 3410
DO 10.1001/jama.1989.03420230062020
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.1989.03420230062020
AB To the Editor.— 
    The finding by the Birth Defects Monitoring Program of the Centers for Disease Control1 that patent ductus arteriosus was the most common major malformation in minority groups and the second most common in whites deviates greatly from data published previously. Fyler2 found patent ductus arteriosus to be only the sixth most common congenital heart defect; Mitchell et al3 listed patent ductus arteriosus as the third most common heart defect. Both studies reported ventricular septal defects to be two to four times more frequent than patent ductus arteriosus.Explanation of the discrepancy undoubtedly lies in the probability that in the Birth Defects Monitoring Program study the discharge diagnosis of patent ductus arteriosus was made mostly in premature infants whose ductus remained open in the neonatal period secondary to their immaturity and to metabolic abnormalities accompanying the respiratory distress syndrome. In these circumstances, patent ductus arteriosus