Vitamin K Deficiency and Thrombophilia in Pregnancy: A Fine Balance Between Bleeding and Thrombus Formation-Insights from a Narrative Review

This current research is a narrative review that seeks to establish the occasions under which thrombophilia can result in complications regarding bleeding and thrombosis during pregnancy. Under such circumstances, the influence of vitamin K deficiency is considered, since vitamin K plays an important role in activating the coagulation system. This occurs directly, via the activation of coagulation factors, as well as indirectly, through the activation of proteins S and C. Both proteins play an important role in the hemostatic mechanism of thrombosis and bleeding. However, the risk associated with the relationship between thrombosis and bleeding changes during pregnancy and is heightened by the natural tendency towards hypercoagulability during pregnancy. This paper presents a narrative review of the literature concerning the links between vitamin K, protein C, and protein S in relation to thrombophilia from the perspectives of both biochemistry and medicine, with a special focus on pregnancy. The study examined factors that could be useful to define the balance between hemorrhagic and thrombotic tendency, comparing conventional methods of studying hemostasis with other possible tests that can help better understand the interplay between hemorrhage and thrombosis. Collectively, disorders within the processes associated with vitamin K-mediated blood clotting may have a considerable effect on the woman’s thrombotic risk, especially for women who suffer from thrombophilia. This study confirms the need for monitoring and personalized treatment options to avoid thrombotic and hemorrhagic complications during pregnancy.