• Posted June 30, 2025

Severe Bleeding After Delivery Linked To Long-Term Heart Health Problems

The health of women who experience severe bleeding after giving birth can remain in peril for up to 15 years afterward, a major new evidence review says.

Women who survive postpartum hemorrhage are 76% more likely to suffer health problems like heart failure, stroke and heart disease for more than a decade afterward, researchers report in the Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine.

They also have a more than doubled risk of developing dangerous blood clots, results show.

While the risk is especially high in the first year after birth, it can last for up to 15 years, results show — especially among women with complications that lead to high blood pressure during pregnancy.

Postpartum hemorrhage “has long been seen as an emergency that ends once the bleeding stops. But our findings show it may have lasting effects on a woman’s heart, even years after childbirth,” lead researcher Dr. Manggala Pasca Wardhana, an OB/GYN with  Airlangga University in Indonesia, said in a news release.

“We think this really calls for a broader view of maternal care, one that doesn’t stop at delivery, but continues into the months and years that follow,” Wardhana added.

Each year, about 14 million women experience postpartum hemorrhage, which accounts for more than 20% of all maternal deaths around the world.

For the study, researchers pooled data from more than 9.7 million women across Europe, North America and Asia gathered in 10 prior studies published through 2024. Follow-up periods ranged from three to 31 years.

Analysis revealed that the severity of postpartum hemorrhage is linked to a higher risk of heart health problems, particularly women who require a blood transfusion to save their lives.

There are several potential reasons why severe bleeding might affect long-term heart health, researchers said.

Massive hemorrhage can cause systemic inflammation that affects the blood vessels and heart function, researchers said. It increases the risk of heartening of the arteries, high blood pressure and other heart risk factors.

“The relationship between bleeding after giving birth and risk to cardiovascular health is complex and multifactorial,” co-author Fiqih Faizara Ustadi, who is also based at Airlangga University, said in a news release.

“Further research is now needed to better understand the mechanisms and develop strategies for the prevention and treatment of these potentially life-threatening complications, which may occur several years after childbirth,” she said.

These results show that guidelines for managing severe bleeding following delivery should be updated to consider the risk of long-term heart health complications.

Women at high risk might be encouraged to make heart-healthy changes to their lifestyles, or be prescribed blood thinners or cholesterol-lowering statins, researchers said.

“This study highlights the importance of addressing the long-term consequences of postpartum hemorrhage on women’s health globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where the burden of postpartum hemorrhage is greatest and access to postpartum care may be limited,” the researchers concluded.

More information

The Cleveland Clinic has more on postpartum hemorrhage.

SOURCE: Taylor & Francis, news release, June 25, 2025