Placental or umbilical cord thrombosis occurs when a clot forms in the veins or arteries of the placenta or umbilical cord, impairing the amount of blood that passes to the fetus and causing decreased fetal movements. Thus, the main difference is related to where the clot is:
- Placental thrombosis: the clot is in the veins or arteries of the placenta; Umbilical thrombosis: the clot is in the vessels of the umbilical cord.
Since they affect the amount of blood that passes to the fetus, these types of thrombosis may indicate an emergency situation, as there is less oxygen and nutrients reaching the developing baby, increasing the chances of miscarriage or premature birth.
Thus, whenever there is a decrease in fetal movements, it is very important that the pregnant woman consult the obstetrician to assess if there is any problem that needs to be treated.
How to identify thrombosis
The main symptom of thrombosis in the placenta is the absence of fetal movements and, therefore, when it happens, it is recommended to go immediately to the emergency room to do an ultrasound and identify the problem, initiating the appropriate treatment.
However, in a good part of the cases, the pregnant woman does not feel any symptoms and, for this reason, she must go to all prenatal consultations to monitor the baby's development through ultrasound.
In cases where the woman does not feel the baby's movements, she should immediately go to the emergency room or the obstetrician who accompanies the pregnancy to check her health and that of the baby. See how to correctly count fetal movements to see if everything is okay with the baby.
Main causes
The causes of thrombosis in the placenta or umbilical cord are not yet fully known, however, women with blood clotting problems, such as thrombophilia, are at increased risk of developing clots due to changes in the blood, such as deficit in antithrombin, deficit of protein C, protein S deficit and alteration of factor V of Leiden.
How the treatment is done
Usually, treatment for these types of thrombosis in pregnancy includes the use of anticoagulant drugs, such as warfarin, to keep the blood thin and prevent the formation of new thrombi, ensuring that the baby and the mother are not at risk of life.
In addition, during treatment, the obstetrician can advise some precautions that help to keep the blood thinner, such as:
- Eat foods rich in vitamin E, such as wheat germ oil, hazelnut or sunflower seeds. See a list of other foods rich in vitamin E. Wear compression stockings; Avoid crossing your legs; Do not eat very fatty foods, such as yellow cheeses and sausages, or foods rich in vitamin K, such as spinach and broccoli. See a more complete list: Foods source of vitamin K.
In the most severe chaos, in which thrombosis affects a very large region of the placenta or there is a risk of harming the baby, for example, the pregnant woman may need to stay in the maternity hospital until the time of delivery to make a constant assessment.
Generally, there is a greater chance of survival when the fetus is more than 24 weeks old, as the obstetrician can have a premature birth when the risk of life is very high.
