Blood Clotting During Pregnancy - Why is it Dangerous?

Clotting of blood is important for us in case of an injury or wound. It prevents the blood to ooze out of the body from any opening. Our blood releases cells called blood platelets, which initiate the process of clotting. However, the clotting of blood inside the veins is not a good thing to happen. This condition is called thrombosis. Moreover, clotting during pregnancy is a serious condition that poses threat to the health of both the mother and the child. In case of pregnant women, clotting of blood starts in the deep veins. These veins are usually the ones in the legs or the pelvic region. This condition is termed as deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

Why there is a clot during pregnancy?
Blood can clot during pregnancy due to multiple reasons. Clotting occurs to prevent too much loss of blood at the time of labour. 

How will you know that it’s DVT?
DVT comes along with certain symptoms. Some of these have been listed below:

1. The pregnant woman may notice tenderness or swelling in one of her legs. She might feel the pain in one of the legs.
2. The skin colour of the woman starts reflecting changes. The skin might turn a little reddish.
3. The patient’s skin will be warmer at the site of clot.
4. The veins in the affected region might look dilated or larger in size.

What are the dangers linked to this clotting?
Whatever may be the reason, clotting during pregnancy is always attached to some dangerous consequences. If the blood clot is left unattended and untreated for long, it may have some serious consequence. The clot may start shifting from your legs to one or both of your lungs. This condition is called pulmonary embolism (PE). It is acute condition that can cause death of the patient as well. The symptoms of PE are as follows:

1. The patient suffers from sudden breathlessness.
2. The patient may feel that there is some tightness around the chest.
3. The patient may find blood in her cough.
4. The patient may show signs of collapse.

Clotting of blood can also prove detrimental to the baby’s health and growth. The blood is supplied through placenta to the baby and a clot in the mother’s vein can decrease the amount of blood supplied to the baby. Sometimes, the blood supply to placenta might be entirely snapped, leading to the death of the child inside the womb. However, blood clotting at the time of pregnancy happens to only a few women. It has been found that one or two in thousand die due to clotting of blood during pregnancy. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a doctor and ask a free question.