If there's hypoxia it can be especially dangerous for a child's developing brain, and the body's natural response is to increase heart rate and breathing in an attempt to deliver oxygen to the brain more quickly.
A gradual decompression in the cabin will cause the oxygen mask to drop from above and on average you have 18 seconds to put the mask on before hypoxia kicks in.
These proteins draw more water from the capillaries and we get a vicious cycle of increased compartment pressure, tissue hypoxia, edema, followed by cellular death and even more pressure.
Because pregnant patients are more prone to hypoxia, oxygenation and airway management should be prioritized during resuscitation from cardiac arrest in pregnancy.
And a consequence of hypoxia is that it signals the bone marrow, as well as extramedullary tissues like the liver and spleen, to increase production of RBCs.