Bringing a new life into the world involves a lot of care, perseverance, and responsibility to secure the other life. Pregnant women are prone to so much negativity around them but still, they try to be prone to a more positive and healthier environment to look after the comfort and security of their offspring. When you are pregnant you are likely to be more caught up with various health issues and discomfort in your body because your body is in an evolving process and it requires extra meticulousness. You and your partner may be doing everything that is required to protect your unborn child but still, certain factors are out of control.
The constant effort to overcome these possibilities remains the only concern. The recent occurrence of the Covid-19 novel virus has reached such heights of destruction and painfulness that humans are overwhelmed as to how to save their lives and lower the risk of death.
Expecting mothers right now have posed so many questions about what is the probability of their exposure to the risk of contracting the virus and putting their infant to severe risk. But a very recent study has brought into light a newer kind of risk factor for pregnant women. The formation of blood clots in expecting mothers during the time of the pandemic.
As if the virus wasn’t already a danger to the offspring and the mother, now the health risk of a blood clot is now also added into the list.
What is Blood Clotting (Thrombosis)? Why Pregnant women are more at risk?
Thrombosis is the creation of a mass or lump of blood changing it from liquid to solid. Blood Clotting is a normal thing performed by blood in a human body to stop the consistent flow of blood due to a cut or incision, it performs the duty to stop excessive bleeding from the body. But at times, this blood clot could also lead to a major risk of stroke because it partially blocks the supply of enough oxygen-rich blood due to the narrowed artery and there is likely the chance of occurrence of Ischemic Stroke.
Pregnant women are more exposed to this kind of imbalance. The reason could be:
- Less flow of blood towards the legs due to the fetus’s press upon the blood vessels which is around the pelvis.
- Fewer body movements during the time of Pregnancy
- Having health conditions like High Blood Pressure, Increase in body weight or due to family history.
- Being Dehydrated
- Delivery of a baby due to Cesarean Section
Formation of Blood Clotting Due to COVID Virus
According to an article published in The Hindustan Times, the association is still not very vivid for the researchers in Tufts University School of Medicine in the U.S. But they probably have for now concluded that a previously healthy person is likely to have the development of blood clots inside his/her body especially a pregnant woman. The thing is, the body of pregnant women does tend to develop blood clots to prevent excessive loss of blood during the time of delivery or labor. The growth of blood clots is more due to the prevalence of female hormone known as Estrogen, or maybe women who are on the consumption of Oral Contraceptive pill or had a Hormone replacement therapy are much more inclined into this imbalance.
When a pregnant woman is COVID infected, the risk to hypercoagulability is much more and the medical professional might advise them to go through Anticoagulation Therapy (Blood thinning procedure). According to a research in peer-reviewed, Science Immunology Pregnant women are at higher risk of getting infected by the virus hence, since, the body needs to process itself from any anti-fetus Immuno antibodies, the mother isn’t able to defend herself from the virus and the chances of blood clot increases even more. All of these ultimately lead to preterm birth as well as the risk of the fetus in catching the fatal virus as well due to premature birth.
What are the experts saying?
The researchers are now trying to find out more evidence concerning the forming of blood clots and the COVID Virus. Perhaps, the intersecting role of consuming birth control pills and the effect of estrogen therapy is still under observation with connection to the creation of blood clots. But, it is still advisable by the doctors to avoid taking birth control pills to somehow, minimize the chances of blood clots and strokes as well.
