Preventing the Development of Venous Insufficiency in Pregnant Women Through Use of Compression Stockings

Plain-language summary

Problem: Approximately 4 million live births occur in the United States each year. Pregnancy causes many physical changes in the mother, including venous distension, increased ability to form blood clots, and hormonal changes. Data suggest that these factors help cause venous insufficiency (when the veins do not adequately return blood from the extremities to the torso). As venous insufficiency progresses, complications follow, the most severe of which include superficial thrombophlebitis and deep venous thrombosis (DVT, or blood clots). Although the fear of DVT has been well publicized, its prevention and prevalence in pregnant women has not been well-studied. The exact cause of venous insufficiency is not known. However, known risk factors include being female and hormonal changes associated with oral contraceptive use, certain hormone replacement medications, and pregnancy. Being pregnant places the mother at additional risk for developing venous insufficiency. Compression stockings are used to manage the condition, but this is by no means standard of care despite their easy use and safety. The medical community's understanding of how compression stockings work is largely theoretical; however, it is believed that the compression works by preventing venous hypertension in the lower legs, thereby preventing venous insufficiency and its associated complications. Research hypothesis: The investigators hypothesize that compression stocking use will be associated with lower incidence of varicose veins and, in those patients who already have varicose veins, lower incidence of complications associated with venous insufficiency. Further, the investigators believe that compression stocking use will be associated with a lower incidence or lessening of symptoms associated with venous insufficiency. Importance: An undetected DVT can be fatal. Even if detected promptly, DVT is associated with long term health problems. Treatment of a DVT requires anticoagulation which can be risky to both mother and fetus. The prevention or reduction of DVT in pregnant women through use of compression stockings would revolutionize their care. Further, this intervention is safe and noninvasive. The investigators propose to conduct a randomized, pilot study comparing pregnant women without and with varicose veins randomized to wear compression stockings to a similar group of participants randomized to no compression stocking use.

Who can participate

What they're measuring

Trial details