Literature review discusses the problem of open arterial duct (OAD) in premature newborns — one of frequent complications of neonatal period in newborns with very low and extremely low body weight. The article analyzes modern data on pathogenesis and approaches to the diagnostics of the disorder, and on therapy of premature children with OAD. Authors present the characteristics of homodynamic markers of OAD; the role of OAD’s function in formation of several disorders typical in premature newborns is described as well. Studies of different strategies of conservative and surgical treatment of children with OAD are analyzed
