A nurse is reviewing congenital heart circulation with a parent. Which of the following fetal structures normally shunt blood away from the lungs and liver and should close after birth?

A. Patent ductus arteriosus, foramen ovale, aortic arch is incorrect because the aortic arch is a normal part of the circulatory system and does not close after birth. A patent ductus arteriosus is abnormal if it remains open after birth. B. Foramen ovale, ductus arteriosus, coronary sinus is incorrect because the coronary sinus is a normal cardiac structure that collects venous blood from the myocardium into the right atrium; it does not close after birth. C. Pulmonary artery, ductus venosus, tricuspid valve is incorrect because the pulmonary artery and tricuspid valve are normal heart structures, not fetal shunts. Only the ductus venosus among these closes after birth. D. Foramen ovale, ductus arteriosus, ductus venosus is correct because these three fetal shunts bypass the lungs and liver: the foramen ovale allows blood to flow from the right atrium to the left atrium, bypassing the lungs; the ductus arteriosus connects the pulmonary artery to the aorta, diverting blood from the lungs; and the ductus venosus shunts oxygenated blood from the umbilical vein directly to the inferior vena cava, bypassing the liver. These structures normally close after birth as the newborn transitions to pulmonary and hepatic circulation.