What is Hemophilia?
The term hemophilia has been derived from the Greek language. Knowing what hemophilia is, helps to plan better management. This is a condition in which the ability of the body to make blood clots is impaired to a considerable extent. This disorder is mainly inherited from the parents of the person. As a result of this, easy and prolonged bleeding occurs amongst the patients. This problem hence is often diagnosed at the time of injuries and at the time of surgeries.
In many cases, the existence of hemophilia can also lead to bleeding between the joints and in the brain. Bleeding in the joints can lead to severe and permanent damage to the joints and bleeding in the brain can lead to many conditions like seizures and decreased consciousness of the human.
How Does Hemophilia Affect Pregnant Women?
Although rare, hemophilia can affect women. This can be a major concern during their pregnancy. It is necessary to know how does hemophilia affect pregnant women. As there is a high risk of excessive bleeding, it poses a great risk for pregnant women and the unborn baby.
Pregnant women who are affected by hemophilia are asked to be extra cautious so that no risks of bleeding appear during the pregnancy or at the time of delivery.
Hemophilia can be of various types depending upon the factor that has caused the problem. However, here we see that hemophilia that is caused due to factor VIII can have adverse effects on a pregnant woman. On the other hand, hemophilia that is caused due to factor IX does not have any effect on the pregnant woman. In most cases, it has been seen that a pregnant woman has no complications due to hemophilia.3 They have a smooth delivery and even in the neonatal stage, there is no problem with both the mother and the child, if managed well.
How to Manage Hemophilia During Pregnancy?
As opposed to what many think, the disease of hemophilia does not increase the chances of miscarriage. Although at the time of delivery, certain problems can emerge. Hence, it is necessary to take precaution and know how to manage hemophilia during pregnancy.
The following are some of the precautions, that must be taken by women who have a history of hemophilia. These points will not only ensure their safety but at the same time will also ensure the safety of their children.
Prior Counseling: It is important that pregnant women who have traces of hemophilia must get good genetic counseling prior to getting pregnant. Even after getting pregnant, she must take a counseling session with the doctors so that she can take all the required precautions for herself and also the baby in the future. She must ask about the various precautions that the doctors will be taking at the time of the delivery and soon after that.
Close Correspondence with Hemophilia Treatment Cell: Once a woman having hemophilia gets pregnant, she must be in regular contact with the HTC or the hemophilic treatment center. This is how any type of problem and complexity can be kept at bay and even if something occurs, the situation can be handled in a proper manner.
Proper Check-ups: A pregnant woman with a history of hemophilia must get checked at regular intervals. This is one of the best ways that the doctor can be on top of the whole situation. The third semester is the most likely period when the patient can develop symptoms of hemophilia, but regular check-ups can help a great deal.
Precautions for the Child: If you have a history of hemophilia and you do get pregnant, you must also inquire about the chances of your child inheriting the problem. This is a situation which is all the more likely if you are carrying a male child.
Treatment for Hemophilia: Hemophilia in pregnancy can be aptly handled with proper treatment and medication. Hence, this is the aspect that must receive its due attention.
Conclusion
Hemophilia is a condition when the natural ability of blood clotting is either low or missing. It can lead to excessive bleeding and worse still internal bleeding. However, the condition is generally subjected to genetic inheritance and can be treated in an effective manner. More researches are being done in this domain so that better treatment facilities can be discovered over a period of time.
Knowing what hemophilia is and its inheritance pattern is important. Although rare, it can affect women, so it is necessary to understand how it affects pregnant women and how to manage hemophilia in pregnancy.
