"We love it here" – babies
That donating blood during the course of your pregnancy may harm the development of your baby?
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Frequently Asked Questions
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As a physician practicing for over 20 years, I have encountered countless questions and have heard infinite concerns from mothers and their families about everything from smoking during pregnancy to what sort of music may or may not be harmful to the development of a baby’s ears. Hopefully, going through this list will ease some of your worries, or in the least inform you as to what you should and should not be concerned about. - Alexander D. Kofinas, MD
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Can fish oil supplements cause excessive bleeding especially when combined with blood thinning drugs?
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Contrary to previous thinking, such
concerns are unfounded. An interaction with anti-clotting medication
(anticoagulants, such as warfarin) is theoretically possible, but recent
research has found no significant risk, even at high doses. People taking
anti-clotting drugs should be monitored as usual by their doctors. Similarly,
you needn't worry about interactions with aspirin, which also has an
anti-clotting effect. Indeed, the AHA advises low-dose aspirin and omega-3s
for people with heart disease.
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How common is thrombophilia?
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In the United States alone, 2 million people die every year because of this condition. To put this in perspective, all cancers in the US combined kill only 500,000 people per year. However, looking at the death toll can be deceiving since many people who suffer from strokes or other blood clotting episodes may survive but remain disabled. Overall, 30-50% of all people suffer from either genetic or acquired thrombophilia. |
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Are there different types of thrombophilia?
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There are two types of thrombophilia: genetic and acquired. A defective gene from our parents usually transmits genetic thrombophilia. Occasionally, the gene defect (mutation) that causes thrombophilia may appear for the first time in a child whose parents do not carry the gene (de novo mutation). Acquired thrombophilia is the result of an immune system malfunction, which causes the production of AntibodyAntibody:
Are proteins, which are secreted into the blood or lymph in response to an antigenic stimulus, such as a virus or transplanted organ, and which neutralize the antigen. that interfere with the clotting mechanism. The most common acquired thrombophilia is the one caused by anti-PhospholipidPhospholipid:
Any of various phosphorous-containing lipids, such as lecithin and cephalin, that are composed mainly of fatty acids, a phosphate group, and a simple organic molecule. AntibodyAntibody:
Are proteins, which are secreted into the blood or lymph in response to an antigenic stimulus, such as a virus or transplanted organ, and which neutralize the antigen. . |
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What are anti-phospholipid anti-bodies?
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Anti-PhospholipidPhospholipid:
Any of various phosphorous-containing lipids, such as lecithin and cephalin, that are composed mainly of fatty acids, a phosphate group, and a simple organic molecule. AntibodyAntibody:
Are proteins, which are secreted into the blood or lymph in response to an antigenic stimulus, such as a virus or transplanted organ, and which neutralize the antigen. are molecules abnormally produced by our immune system, for reasons that are still unclear to us. What is important to note however, is that the release of such AntibodyAntibody:
Are proteins, which are secreted into the blood or lymph in response to an antigenic stimulus, such as a virus or transplanted organ, and which neutralize the antigen. can often cause clotting disorders such as thrombophilia. |
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What are the thrombophilia related pregnancy complications, which may affect the fetus?
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Once again, because the PlacentaPlacenta:
A membranous vascular organ that develops in female mammals during pregnancy, lining the uterine wall and partially enveloping the fetus. functions as a filter between mother and child, it depends on the free flow of blood from both parties to work efficiently. Because thrombophilia accelerates the body’s tendency to form blood clots, the result could lead to a less permeable PlacentaPlacenta:
A membranous vascular organ that develops in female mammals during pregnancy, lining the uterine wall and partially enveloping the fetus. , which would then be less able to facilitate the absorption of the neighboring blood supply. Although the vast majority of placentas experience a small degree of clotting naturally, significant clotting can lead to diminished supplies of oxygen and essential nutrients to the fetus. This in turn leads to some of the most serious complications of pregnancy, such as PretermPreterm:
Occuring or appearing before the expected time at the end of a full-term pregnancy. labor and PretermPreterm:
Occuring or appearing before the expected time at the end of a full-term pregnancy. birth, growth restriction, fetal death, PlacentaPlacenta:
A membranous vascular organ that develops in female mammals during pregnancy, lining the uterine wall and partially enveloping the fetus. abruption (detachment), cerebral stroke, cerebral palsy, PreeclampsiaPreeclampsia:
A condition of hypertension occurring in pregnancy, typically accompanied by edema and proteinuria. , maternal brain injury, and even maternal death. |
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Can I transmit thrombophilia to my baby?
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The answer is both yes and no. When the mother has genetic thrombophilia, the baby's risk of obtaining some form of the condition can be either 50% or 100%, depending on whether the mother has both of the abnormal genes or only one. What is more important and least understood by most obstetricians is the fact that the mother may be healthy and yet the PlacentaPlacenta:
A membranous vascular organ that develops in female mammals during pregnancy, lining the uterine wall and partially enveloping the fetus. and the fetus may suffer from genetic fetal thrombophilia, which was inherited from the father. In other words, the risk of the baby to have genetic thrombophilia as well as the severity of it depend on whether the mother, the father or both of them have some form of genetic thrombophilia. At KOFINAS PERINATAL we are very successful in identifying this condition because we pay keen attention to the placental development and not just to the maternal blood tests. On numerous occasions, we have prevented health setbacks in the extended family by advising testing of the father’s lineage. When the mother has acquired thrombophilia there is no direct and absolute risk of developing this condition during fetal life. There may be a slight increase in the risk of developing the same condition in adulthood but this risk is not known. |
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What is Thrombophilia?
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Thrombophilia is a combination of two Greek words. The word "thrombos" means clot, and the word "philia" means friendship. In short, thrombophilia is a condition, which increases the body's tendency to form blood clots. |
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Is thrombophilia dangerous to my general health and that of my baby?
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About 60% of our blood is water, meaning that it must remain in a liquid state at all times for as long as our VascularVascular:
of or relating to or having vessels that conduct and circulate fluids, such as blood. system is intact and to clot only at times of injury in order to protect us from excess bleeding. In patients with thrombophilia the blood inside an intact vessel forms a clot (thrombus), which blocks the free flow of blood. This leads to an obstruction of the vessels, much like a damn obstructs the flow of water in a river, only in this case we want the river to flow naturally without any sort of obstacles. If the river of blood slows down its movement or ceases to flow entirely, then subsequent damage of the body's organic tissues can occur since blood flow is the means by which our body provides itself with oxygen. This is the cause of conditions such as, DVT (clots in the veins of the legs), stroke (clot in any brain vessel), heart attack (blockage of the heart vessels), arterial ThrombosisThrombosis:
Formation or presence of a thrombus; clotting within a blood vessel which may cause infarction of tissues supplied by the vessel. of various organs (liver, kidneys, intestine, etc.). In short, the answer is most certainly yes. |
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I have thrombophilia and am currently treating it with Lovenox and Aspirin. I am also experiencing bleeding in the first trimester and am afraid that the combination may be dangerous to my pregnancy. Should I be concerned?
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The answer is no. Most patients go on to have a normal pregnancy as long as they continue their treatment with Lovenox and Aspirin. As upsetting as bleeding is, it is usually just a nuisance whose effects are not detrimental to the either the mother or the baby’s health. Regardless, 90% of the fetuses we loose in the first trimester are genetically abnormal and not compatible with life. Bleeding in patients with thrombophilia is caused by the trombophilia’s effect on the PlacentaPlacenta:
A membranous vascular organ that develops in female mammals during pregnancy, lining the uterine wall and partially enveloping the fetus. , and this is exactly why we recommend Lovenox and Aspirin, which counteract the bleeding and lead to a safe pregnancy. |
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