United States: Postpartum bleeding among women with severe cases is so risky to their health that even 15 years later, such women may still face serious danger, according to a significant piece of new evidence.
Survivors of postpartum hemorrhage are 76 percent more inclined to endure health problems, such as heart failure, stroke, and heart disease, over 10 years after those events, according to researchers who published their findings in the Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine.
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Findings also demonstrate that they are at more than twice the risk of developing dangerous blood clots.
Although a pregnancy complication can cause a high risk in the first year of birth, the risk can extend to 15 years, according to results involving women with pregnancy complications resulting in high blood pressure.
According to the lead researcher, Dr. Manggala Pasca Wardhana, who is an OB/GYN with Airlangga University in Indonesia, Postpartum hemorrhage “has long been seen as an emergency that ends once the bleeding stops. But our findings show it may have lasting effects on a woman’s heart, even years after childbirth,” US News reported.
“We think this really calls for a broader view of maternal care, one that doesn’t stop at delivery but continues into the months and years that follow,” Wardhana noted.
Approximately 14 million women suffer postpartum hemorrhage annually, and it causes more than 20 percent of all maternal mortalities across the globe.
In order to conduct the study, the scientists got together the data of over 9.7 million women in Europe, North America, and Asia who were the participants in 10 published studies conducted between 2010 and 2024.
The time of follow-up was between three and 31 years. Analysis indicated that the level of postpartum hemorrhage is associated with the increased potential of heart health issues, especially among women who are in need of a blood transfusion to survive.
Researchers said that there are a number of possible explanations for why severe bleeding could harm long-term heart health, as US News reported.
Researchers said that massive hemorrhage may lead to systemic inflammation involving the blood vessels and cardiac activity.
It raises the chances of heartening of the arteries, high blood pressure, and other challenges related to the heart.