An artery that connects the aorta and the pulmonary artery during fetal life. It generally closes spontaneously within a few hours to several days after birth. Allows abnormal blood flow from the high-pressure aorta to the low-pressure pulmonary artery, resulting in a left-to-right shunt. (From Ashwill, JW & James, SR: Nursing Care of Children: Principles and Practice. WB Saunders, Philadelphia, 2007.)