Blood clot risk period for new mums may have doubled

Women may be at serious risk of developing blood clots for up to twelve weeks after giving birth, rather than six weeks as was previously believed.

Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, new research has found that the risk of clotting is still twice as high for mums from seven to 12 weeks after delivery.

While the risk level does drop quite significantly after the first six months, with new mums at almost an 11 times higher risk of developing clots, researchers believe that women need to be aware of the risks, particularly if they have a family history of blood clots.