Ductus venosus flow

In fetal life blood from the baby is pumped through the aorta and then the umbilical cord to the placenta where it picks up oxygen and nutrients and gets rid of waste products

Well oxygenated blood (red) from the placenta is returned through the umbilical cord to the fetus. The ductus venosus is a short vessel in the fetal liver which directs the majority of oxygenated blood to the fetal heart and from there to the brain

The ductus venosus usually closes within a few minutes after birth