What are the risks of a thrombophilia during pregnancy?
Most women with a tendency to develop clotting have healthy pregnancies. However, these pregnant women may be more likely than other pregnant women to develop deep vein clots and certain other pregnancy complications. Even pregnant women without a clotting problem may be more likely than non-pregnant women to develop deep vein clots and emboli. This is due to normal pregnancy-related changes in blood clotting that limit blood loss during labor and delivery. However, studies suggest that at least 50 percent of pregnant women who develop a pulmonary embolus or other VTE have an underlying thrombophilia (1, 2). Pulmonary embolus is the leading cause of maternal death in the United States (2). The thrombophilias also may contribute to pregnancy complications including (1): • Repeated miscarriage, usually occurring after the tenth week of pregnancy • Stillbirth in the second or third trimesters • Placental abruption, a condition in which the placenta peels away from the uterine wall, partia
