Pregnancy and Aneurysm

Hello,

I am a 28 year old female who is wondering if there are any problems with a partially clipped aneurysm and pregnancy. Will being pregnant and carrying to full term cause any issues with the aneurysm or make it burst? Can giving birth cause it to burst? How about the hormonal changes and/or weight gain on my blood pressure effecting the aneurysm... Any info would be appreciated.

Hi Krystal,

I'm not sure anyone here can give you a good answer, but I'd sure speak with your neuro DRs about it. I think it's pretty typical that BP goes up, especially in natural childbirth. Now if you are a fitness geek, maybe that's not such an issue.

You mention "Partially clipped" aneurysm. If it means the aneurysm is fixed, it would seem to be less of an issue. If it means partially fixed, that would trouble me.

If you were my wife or daughter, I'd suggest planning for a C-section to minimize the risks.

But who knows? My wife had two natural (no drugs) childbirths a few years before her AVM presented. After some embolizations, an aneurysm showed up and was clipped. Her Drs were amazed that the AVM didn't present during her pregnancies. Her normal BP has always been low and she doesn't recall her BP going up during that time.

Hope this helps.

Ron, KS

Hi Krystal,

As you know, I am no medical professional, but it's pretty much a given that an AVM can greatly interfere with pregnancy. My mother is a nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit at Hoag and has gone to countless emergency C-sections. She has told me stories of healthy, young women suffering from strokes and aneurysms during delivery. One story she tells is of a woman that had an aneurysm, died in the middle of the delivery, but the child was saved because they were far enough in to the C-section process.

Basically what it comes down to is that any type of added physical stress (pregnancy, strenuous physical activity, high blood pressure, etc.) can be just enough to cause an AVM to rupture. Every individual is different and every AVM is different, so it is possible that your doctor may feel that you are OK to carry a baby, but would most likely push for a C-section. As Ron said, the best answers are most likely to come from a medical professional, and it might not be a bad idea to get opinions of both a OB and a vascular surgeon.