Blood Clots & Pregnancy: Risk, Prevention & Cord Blood Banking

Pregnant women are about 5 times more likely to develop blood clots than non-pregnant women.

A blood clot is a clump of blood that forms when blood changes from liquid to solid. When blood clots form in the veins, it’s called venous thromboembolism, and it’s a very serious health issue. It first manifests as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which are clots that primarily occur in the legs, thighs, and pelvis. When the clot (or part of it) dislodges and travels to the blood vessels of the lungs, it causes a blockage known as pulmonary embolism (PE), which could be fatal.

Pregnant women are more likely to develop blood clots than non-pregnant women because:

1. They experience hormonal changes. During pregnancy, the body increases clotting activity as a way to lessen blood loss during labor.
2. During pregnancy, there is reduced blood flow to the legs as a result of the fetus’ weight pressing down on veins.

Pregnant women are at the highest risk of blood clots during their first trimester and the first 6 weeks after delivery. Prgenancy blood clots can cause pre-eclampsia, miscarriage, placental insufficiency, premature birth, and in rare cases, heart attack and stroke.

There are many factors that can increase your likelihood of developing blood clots. They are:

1. Being over the age of 35 (or advanced maternal age)
2. Being overweight or obese
3. Having had blood clots in the past or a family history of it
4. Having a complicated birth or an operative delivery like a cesarean section
5. Inherited thrombophilia, a condition that makes blood clots more likely
6. Smoking
7. Pre-existing heart disease
8. Having a premature or stillbirth
9. Heavy bleeding after birth
10. Traveling long distances
11. Living a sedentary lifestyle

The symptoms of Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism are different.

Deep vein thrombosis symptoms include swelling, pain, and redness in the legs, larger-looking veins, and skin that feels warmer where the clot is. These symptoms usually, but not always, appear in one leg.

The symptoms of pulmonary embolism are difficulty breathing, chest pain or constriction, irregular heartbeat, frequent coughing accompanied by blood, feeling seriously unwell, and collapsing.

1. Remain active and maintain a healthy weight
2. Wear compression stockings and use anticoagulant medication prescribed by your doctor
3. Wear loose-fitting clothes
4. When traveling for a long period of time, get up every 2-3 hours and move around. Also, drink a lot of water to prevent dehydration
5. Stop smoking
6. Go for frequent prenatal checkups and follow your doctor’s recommendations based on your individual risks

When diagnosed, DVT is usually treated with anticoagulants and compression stockings to relieve pain and swelling. Pulmonary embolism, on the other hand, requires immediate medical attention once the symptoms are experienced. In very rare and severe cases, drugs called thrombolytics are used to dissolve the blood clots.

Blood clotting can affect the collection of cord blood. If the medical staff waits too long to clamp and cut the umbilical cord, the blood in it starts to clot, making collection harder and resulting in reduced amounts of cord blood that may not be useful for storage.

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