IVF Increases The The Risk Of Thrombosis. Part 1 of 3

IVF Increases The The Risk Of Thrombosis. Women who became gravid through in vitro fertilization (IVF) may have an increased risk of developing blood clots and potentially damaging artery blockage, Swedish investigators suggest. Although the risk remains small, the odds are especially high during the first trimester compared to women who become pregnant naturally, the researchers said. Blood clots – called venous thromboembolism – can come forth in the leg veins and break free, traveling to the lungs and blocking a main artery. This condition, called pulmonary embolism, can cause obstacle breathing and even death.

So “There is an increased incidence of pulmonary embolism and venous thrombosis among women pregnant after IVF,” said lead researcher Dr Peter Henriksson, a professor of internal pharmaceutical at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. “Embolism is the leading cause of maternal mortality during pregnancy. The diagnosis can be elusive, so physicians should be aware of this risk to facilitate the diagnosis”.

The peril of clotting during pregnancy isn’t confined to women who undergo IVF, another experts said. “Any pregnancy carries a risk of clotting,” said Dr Avner Hershlag, manager of the Center for Human Reproduction at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, NY. This is because hormones, particularly estrogen, increase during pregnancy. “This changes what we call the clotting cascade. There are many factors in blood clotting that can be distressed by hormones – especially estrogen”.

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