High fibrinogen in pregnancy: how to interpret it
When you are expecting a baby you inevitably have to undergo several tests, even if only for monitoring. Some are monthly, while others are to be done only once. This is essential to ensure a peaceful wait. Another thing you can do is change your diet and adjust it to your needs and those of the baby. Do you want some advice? Find out in this video which foods you should pay attention to during pregnancy!
What is fibrinogen
Pregnancy is an intense period from the point of view of blood tests, but it is also true that 9 months are very delicate for a woman and for this reason it is important to be followed from a health point of view.
In addition to blood sugar, blood pressure, and other hormones, a considerable factor to watch for is fibrinogen, a blood protein found in plasma. Fibrinogen is produced by the liver and, albeit in smaller doses, by the endothelial tissue. Its purpose is to promote blood clotting and is an important factor because it enters circulation quickly in case of wounds, bleeding or hemorrhages.
It helps to form blood clots and to intertwine platelets with red blood cells, which join together and lead to wound healing.
In pregnancy it is physiologically higher than normal because at the moment of delivery it blocks the important loss of blood. Nevertheless, fibrinogen has values that even for pregnant women are high: usually the allowed range is between 400 and 700 mg / dl (milligrams per deciliter).
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Why is it measured and when
Given its importance, fibrinogen in pregnancy should be monitored, especially high fibrinogen. Too high values could lead to complications at the time of birth or before: some possibilities are the risk of placental abortion and abortion. Marking the quantity of this substance present in the body of a pregnant woman also allows us to evaluate the health of the maternal placenta. , which we remember being that "organ that regulates all exchanges between mother and fetus.
How are these specific checks carried out? It is usually the gynecologist who follows you or a doctor who prescribes blood tests; through them it will be possible to detect fibrinogen, an antechamber of fibrin and a substance designated for coagulation. If the values are too high, it will be advisable to bring the values back to normal to avoid the risks described above.
There are two tests that can be done: one is qualitative and allows you to see how fibrinogen acts during the formation of the clot; that is, it evaluates the speed with which it intervenes. The other test is more quantitative and measures the concentration of fibrinogen in the blood. The test is done on an empty stomach.
Monitoring must be constant during pregnancy, so it is possible to see fibrinogen on the agenda more than once.
If the report results in values considered out of the norm, both low and high, it is necessary to use precautions to bring them back into the allowed range.
Doctors may request fibrinogen testing at any time during pregnancy, but it is much more common if one or more of these factors are present in the pregnant woman: bleeding, thrombotic or both episodes, evidence of prolonged PT or APTT, family history of inherited deficiencies o fibrinogen abnormalities (and therefore increased risk of bleeding during and after delivery).
Normal values for a pregnant woman
The fibrinogen parameters in an individual with normal conditions are between 200 and 400 mg / dl (vary according to the detection method used). These levels can fluctuate and sometimes increase under certain circumstances, such as kidney diseases (nephritis and nephrosis), lymphomas, burns for which the body is trying to heal or if you are taking first-generation contraceptives. During pregnancy, normal values rise significantly and the range shifts a little further, from 400 to 700 mg / dl.
This happens because so many changes take place in the body of a pregnant woman, including hormonal ones. An increased concentration of fibrinogen in pregnancy also serves to protect it from major bleeding at the time of delivery. So no worries if you find a high number in your report, the fundamental thing is that the value detected by the blood test is in the range we have indicated. In pregnancy it is also correct to note a parameter that is constantly growing, month after month, with peak close to the birth of the baby, or in the third trimester of gestation.
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Too high fibrinogen in pregnancy, causes
If the level of fibrinogen is too high, i.e. beyond the maximum threshold of 700 mg / dl, the first thing to do is to contact the doctor who will investigate the possible causes of this high value.
The most common cause is weight gain which for some women rises significantly compared to the fees recommended by the gynecologist. In fact, it is known that there is a direct correlation between the body mass index and the level of fibrinogen in the blood. the first will automatically increase the other as well.
Another important cause in determining this parameter in concentrations that are too high even for those who are pregnant, is smoking. It should be removed completely if you are expecting a baby, but for those who cannot do without it it is good to know that even the cigarettes increase the level of glycoprotein, as the bronchi and lungs are characterized by an inflammatory process.
The age of the expectant mother also seems to affect the likelihood of having high amounts of fibrinogen in the blood. The older the age, the higher the levels of this substance.
Finally, also current or previous pathologies can lead to too high values, such as some inflammatory diseases (rheumatoid arthritis and glomerulonephritis), cardiovascular diseases, tumors, obesity, hepatitis and stroke.
Never underestimate the fact that you have an off-scale parameter, the risks are so many! Unfortunately, it can even lead to abortion.
Excessive fibrinogen in pregnancy, remedies
Fortunately, there are several remedies to solve the problem, including natural ones. Let's see them first.
In the first place, it helps a lot to adopt a healthy lifestyle, consisting of regular meals, long walks and no excesses. Hydrating a lot is certainly a simple and always winning strategy; supplementing it with foods rich in omega-3 and omega-6 will help lower fibrinogen. Eat dishes such as oily fish and salmon, nuts, vegetables and lean meats. Avoid sugary and industrial foods and limit red meats. avoid gaining too much weight quickly and allow yourself a few moments of soft exercise every week.
If these remedies don't help, your doctor will refer you to more traditional therapies. After specific tests, the ways he will probably recommend you are two: one involves taking oral anticoagulants, such as cardioaspirin, and the other is heparin injections in the abdomen. Both drugs have the function of dissolving blood clots (clots). in the blood.
Causes of Low Fibrinogen in Pregnancy
We said that there are risks even in the case of low values, and this happens when the protein threshold drops below 250mg / dl. Among the most common causes are liver problems and hereditary factors. All those diseases that affect the liver lead to a reduced production of fibrinogen and therefore determine its reduction in the blood.
Also in these cases it is important to speak to the gynecologist to avoid the most common risks that these too low values entail; there is talk of possible umbilical cord bleeding, severe bleeding during gestation and spontaneous abortion within the first weeks of pregnancy.
