Covid-19 increases the risk of blood clots in pregnant women: Study

It has been said time and again that the elderly and pregnant women are two most vulnerable groups when it comes to SARS-CoV-2. But it seems that covid-19 might just hit pregnant a lot harder than we previously thought. A new study published in the journal Endocrinology states that the female hormone oestrogen is becoming the root cause of complications, increasing the chance of blood clots in pregnant women affected by coronavirus.  

The study says that coronavirus may also increase the risk of blot clots in women who are taking estrogen with birth control or hormone replacement therapy.

According to the researchers, including those from the Tufts University School of Medicine in the US, one of the many complications of covid-19 is the formation of blood clots in previously healthy people.

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If infected with covid-19, the risk of blood clotting could be even higher, and these women may need to undergo anticoagulation therapy, or discontinue their estrogen medicines, noted the research.

The scientists believe further research is needed to understand the effects of the novel coronavirus on coagulation, answering if the virus aggravates the risk of blood clots and strokes associated with oral contraceptive pills, other oestrogen therapies, and pregnancy-associated risks.

“During this pandemic, we need additional research to determine if women who become infected with the coronavirus during pregnancy should receive anticoagulation therapy, or if women taking birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy should discontinue them,” said Daniel Spratt, the study’s corresponding author from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, US.

Spratt said:

However, the scientists said understanding the cause of blood clotting in covid-19, including the intersecting effects of oestrogen therapy or pregnancy has several hurdles and will require innovative animal and tissue models.

“The emergence of this pandemic and the curious impact of this virus on hypercoagulability emphasise the continuing need for additional research into coagulation pathology in women,” they wrote in the study.

According to the researchers, collaborative efforts between clinicians and basic researchers and between endocrinologists and hematologists are necessary to understand the interactions between the covid-19 and pregnancy or oestrogen therapy that could guide clinical management.

So ladies, please be cautious especially if you are pregnant.

(With inputs from PTI)