PAPVR is the short form of pulmonary venous return. This is a congenital heart defect, where the blood rich in oxygen fails to return towards the left atrium from the lungs. The blood instead returns to the right atrium or surrounding area of the heart.(1)
A few of the pediatric cardiologists also said that PAPVR is a type of congenital malformation, where the pulmonary veins combine to form a common type of vein. However, it fails to attach to the left atrium normally.(2)
If no obstruction towards pulmonary venous return is there, newborns will have mild cyanosis and hardly experience any symptom. However, severe obstructions lead to pulmonary edema, severe type of neonatal cyanosis, and pulmonary hypertension.(3)
How Does PAPVR Affect The Body?
Effects of PAPVR Based On Underlying Symptoms On Infants
The symptoms of PAPVR are almost similar to the symptoms occurring in the case of other heart diseases or health conditions. Particularly, newborns with partial anomalous pulmonary venous return have blue-colored skin, nail beds, and lip i.e. the condition of cyanosis.
The condition takes place during the initial few hours or days in the life of a newborn baby. However, the severity of the baby’s condition depends on the amount of blood supplied by its heart to the body. Moreover, PAPVR is a type of congenital birth defect; your baby may experience a few of the additional symptoms, such as-
- Difficulty in breathing or breathing at a fast rate
- Fast heartbeat or heart rate
- Little movement and tiredness
- Clammy and cool skin
- Poor pulse
- Poor feeding
- Heart murmur
- Enlarged liver(3)
Effects Of PAPVR Based On Certain Complications
PAPVR if left untreated or fail to take proper follow-up may result in various complications. These include the following-
- Lung problems, like respiratory failure
- Shock
- High blood pressure in the lungs
- Enlarged heart
- Heart failure
- Abnormal heart rhythms
- Enlarged liver
- Slowed body growth and development(3)
What Triggers PAPVR?
The underlying cause of PAPVR is unknown in most of the cases. However, in some cases, a partial anomalous pulmonary venous return takes place because of the abnormal development of the pulmonary veins surrounding the baby’s heart at the time of early fetal growth.(4)
A few of the congenital heart defects take place because of genetic mutations. In this situation, heart problems become frequent in specific families. However, in most cases, the PAPVR type of heart defect takes place by chance and that too without any strong reason related to its development.(4)
Another research study has revealed that a few of the babies experience heart defects because of variations in their chromosomes or genes. Heart defects, including PAPVR, may even take place because of a combination of genes and genetic mutations. Furthermore, in some cases, heart defects by birth take place from risk factors or things, which the fetus or the mother encounters with the external environment. Along with this, PAPVR may take place from the medications, foods, and beverages taken by the mother during her pregnancy period.(5)
Conclusion
To conclude, we should say that PAPVR causes various symptoms in newborn babies. Moreover, if the condition remains untreated, it results in various complications. Research studies have until now do not know the underlying cause of partial anomalous pulmonary venous return disease. However, they have found many causes and risk factors to trigger the condition in infants or newborns.
- https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/heartdefects/tapvr.html.
- https://medmovie.com/library_id/3255/topic/ahaw_0060i/.
- https://www.msdmanuals.com/professional/pediatrics/congenital-cardiovascular-anomalies/total-anomalous-pulmonary-venous-return-tapvr
- https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=90&contentid=P01820
- http://www.childrenshospital.org/conditions-and-treatments/conditions/t/total-anomalous-pulmonary-venous-return/symptoms-and-causes
- https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/heartdefects/tapvr.html
Also Read:
- How To Cope With PAPVR & What Is The Best Treatment For It?
- Is There A Surgery For PAPVR & Home Remedies For It?
- How Long Will It Take To Recover From PAPVR & How Long Do The Symptoms Last?
- Is PAPVR A Progressive Disease & Alternative Treatment For It?
- Can PAPVR Go Away On Its Own & What Are Its Natural Remedies?
- How To Diagnose PAPVR & What Is The Best Medicine For It?
- Who Is At Risk For PAPVR & Is There A Blood Test For It?