Ductus Arteriosus

What in the world is that??

In his book “Soul Survivor”, page 69, Philip Yancy writes about his interview with Dr. Paul Brand where the doctor describes a remarkable, crucial and timely event during the birth of a baby. When a fetus is developing, a bypass vessel called the ductus arteriosus routes blood around the lungs because there is yet no breathing. The blood, oxygenated via the mother’s placenta, goes directly to the developing fetus. At birth, blood must now pass through the lungs to receive oxygen because the baby is now separated from the mother and breathing air. This shocking experience of the first breath in the lungs, and the first rush of much of the blood through the lungs, must be what causes the baby’s first wail. In a day or two (not always in seconds as Dr. Brand thought), a flap completes its descent like a curtain, deflecting all the blood flow. A muscle constricts the ductus arteriosus, which then gradually dissolves. Without this critically timed adjustment, the baby could never survive outside the womb.

How did that life-saving arrangement ever develop? Is it even remotely reasonable to mark it down to blind chance or to mutations which are mistakes, omissions or inversions in the DNA code?  Do we ever attribute the invention of any of the multitude of devices, machines or instruments we use to just happening by chance or random mistakes? No, we honor the inventor! We have a very, very highly intelligent Creator to credit with this astounding process and the many other natural marvels that exist.

Thanks from a birth survivor,

Henry Wiebe