Is thrombophilia a risk factor for placenta-mediated pregnancy complications?

PURPOSE: To determine if thrombophilia is a risk factor for placenta-mediated pregnancy complications (PMPC) (i.e., preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), placental abruption, intrauterine fetal death and recurrent pregnancy loss).

METHODS: A 5-year retrospective cohort study. Ongoing pregnancies in women with an antecedent PMPC with thrombophilia were compared with the pregnancies in similar women without thrombophilia. The main outcome measures were mean birth weight deviations, corrected for gestational age, and recurrence of PMPC. Low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) was employed for thromboprophylaxis only. Mann-Whitney's, Fisher's and Chi-square tests were employed for comparison.

RESULTS: PMPC recurred in 10/43 (23 %) in the thrombophilia group and in 7/41 (17 %) in the non-thrombophilia group, P < 0.059. The mean birth weight deviations were not significantly different either: -7.2 versus -3.0 %, respectively. LMWH, as could be expected, was used more often in thrombophilia patients (39/43 vs. 10/41, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: Thrombophilia does hardly increase the risk of IUGR/PMPC or if so, it can be prevented by LMWH.