Did you know that venous thromboembolism (VTE) accounts for almost 10 percent of all maternal deaths in the United States? According to experts, pregnant women are four times more at risk to suffer venous thromboembolism compared to non-pregnant women and it is also found to affect about one in 100,000 women of childbearing age.
In a recent research data published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, the National Partnership for Maternal Safety released a consensus safety bundle based on the guidelines on reducing the risks of maternal thromboembolism. However, some medical experts were wary about the consensus bundle as it relies more on pharmacologic prophylaxis and lacks sufficient substantiation to validate the approach, Medscape points out.
Before delving deeper into the study, what exactly is venous thromboembolism? According to Patient, VTE refers to the formation of thrombus or a blood clot within the veins. It can also occur anywhere in the venous system, but the clinically predominant sites include the lung (pulmonary embolus) and vessels of the legs (deep vein thrombosis).
As for the pathophysiology of venous thromboembolism during pregnancy, experts said that VTE is apparently connected to the increased venous stasis since normal pregnancy is accompanied by an increase in clotting factors, the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health reveals. VTE has also been known to be the leading cause of maternal deaths in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Fortunately, maternal death from venous thromboembolism is preventable by implementing comprehensive thromboembolism prevention techniques. But specialists warned that prophylaxis guideline recommendations from medical and surgical specialties have substantial differences.
Speaking of prophylaxis guideline recommendations, many women receive pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis that's why the nation has seen a significant reduction in maternal death cases. In the United States, on the other hand, only women at highest risk for VTE receive pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis.
Aside from tackling the guidelines on venous thromboembolism, experts have also released a new set of rules on what women should eat during pregnancy. According to British Dietetic Association spokesperson Sian Porter, a healthy and balanced diet is not only good for expectant moms and their baby's health as research suggests maternal diet during pregnancy could also affect a child's taste preferences.
Porter also stressed that it's better for expectant moms to get vitamins and nutrients from food. In a detailed report published by The Telegraph, pregnant women could eat eggs, salmon and mackerel but sushi and alcohol remain a no-no.
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