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Blood clot risk remains higher than normal for at least 12 weeks after women deliver babies
Women's blood clot risk remains elevated for at least 12 weeks after delivering a baby—twice as long as previously recognized, according to a large study presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2014.

The chance of a blood clot rises during pregnancy, when platelets and other blood-clotting factors increase. The risk peaks around the time of delivery, but researchers found that afterwards it remained:

• 10.8 times higher during weeks 0-6;
• 2.2 times higher during weeks 7-12; and
• 1.4 times higher (a non-significant rise) during weeks 13-18. MedicalXpress