Are there certain factors that put women at greater risk to develop a blood clot related to pregnancy?
The most common risk factors for PE in the postpartum period are Cesarean delivery and obesity. Given the steadily increasing use of Cesarean section as a delivery choice (currently done in about 3 out of every 10 women), coupled with the obesity epidemic, the risk of having a blood clot related to pregnancy is rising in the United States. Recently, scholars have highlighted the blood clotting risk associated with maternal obesity and recommended that obesity be managed in an effort to prevent thromboembolism (Duhl A, Paidas MJ et al. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2007). Inherited thrombophilic conditions may also predispose women to develop blood clots in pregnancy. Understanding of thrombophilias (predisposition to clotting) and their impact on pregnancy continues to advance. As is often the case in medical research, initial small studies tend to magnify the impact of inherited risk factors for clotting, while further research either contradicted the initial findings or showed a weaker risk. F
