Dr. Manny Answers Viewer E-mails

Published November 20, 2014

Dear Dr. Manny, I am 36 years old and I recently learned that I have a single gene mutation Factor V Leiden after suffering an early miscarriage while pregnant with my second child. I have an appointment with a high-risk OB in a few weeks, but was hoping you could shed some light on what I might expect to hear.

I understand there are clear health risks associated with this condition even without being pregnant. I'm not aware of a family history of blood clots, although I'm asking my relatives now. My fraternal grandmother was on Coumadin for several years, but also had other health issues (emphysema, etc.).

Thank you for your insight! Lisa Troy, OH

Dear Lisa, The Factor V Leiden gene mutation is pretty common, and if you have it, you inherited it from one or both of your parents. This mutation puts you at risk for clotting. Now, you may say you've never had a problem with clotting in your life, but you did have a miscarriage, which was probably due to the Leiden 5 mutation.

Women who have this mutation can also have high blood pressure when they get pregnant - something we call toxemia of pregnancy. So the bottom line is this is something you have to be aware of and careful with because you cannot take birth control as a mode of contraception, if you are a smoker, you need to quit because it puts you at risk for developing clots, but you also must remember that this is information you will have to pass on to your children because of the condition's hereditary component.

Patients who are carriers of this gene mutation who become pregnant usually have to go on some sort of anticoagulation therapy like heparin or lovenox for the duration of the pregnancy and most will stay on small doses of the drugs for about three months after delivery. It's good that you've identified your condition and are going to a high-risk doctor because with the right care, you should be able to deliver a healthy baby.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________ Dear Dr. Manny, My daughter is expecting my second grandchild in July, and for the second time, her psoriasis has almost completely disappeared. She normally has large patches on knees elbows and feet. Her doctor said he has seen this happen before with other expectant mothers, and the patches returned after her son was born. We have read that some researchers believe psoriasis is an autoimmune disease. Could the changes in a woman's immune system due to pregnancy point the way to a cure?

Thank you, Lynn

Dear Lynn, First of all, congratulations on your second grandchild! Psoriasis research has come a long way over the last decade. When a woman is pregnant, her immune system becomes a bit compromised, so diseases caused by an overactive immune system like psoriasis do tend to get better during that time.

Click here to see a video about psoriasis and to learn where you can find more information

Some experts believe that the hormonal changes associated with pregnancy improve overall skin condition, including the symptoms of psoriasis. But ultimately, changes in the severity of psoriasis during pregnancy vary between women.

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