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This week on Health Watch, we’re talking about being safe and healthy during travel. Pregnant women face extra challenges while traveling.
Dr. Robyn Horsager-Boehrer, an obstetrician and gynecologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center, says one of the biggest concerns for pregnant travelers is deep-venous thrombosis — blood clots in the legs. Changes to the body during pregnancy make pregnant women especially prone to clots, and dehydration. Long periods of inactivity increase the risk for clots. When traveling by air, move around frequently, even if it’s just moving your legs and feet, and try to walk the aisles every hour or so. When traveling by car, make frequent rest stops to walk around, and limit travel time to about five to six hours a day. It’s important to keep blood circulating to prevent clots from forming.
Visit http://www.utsouthwestern.org/obgyn to learn more about UT Southwestern’s clinical services in gynecology and obstetrics.
Next: More tips for pregnant travelers.
