Abstract:

Pregnancy-related venous thromboembolism (VTE) is one of the risk factors that increase maternal mortality and morbidity. Acquired and congenital thrombophilic risk factors were detected in 2/3 and 30-50% of women with VTE related pregnancy, respectively. The most common causes of pregnancy related VTE are factor-V Leiden (FV-L), prothrombin G20210A and methylenetetrahyrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene mutations. In pregnant women with hereditary thrombophilia, both VTE and adverse pregnancy outcomes including pregnancy loss, placental abruption and intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) can be seen. Screening tests for hereditary thrombophilia should be done in VTE related to pregnancy or puerperium ,  recurrent pregnancy loss in the first and second trimester and   intrauterine fetal death. Additionally, these screening tests should also be recommended in pregnancy related complications such as severe preeclampsia, IUGR and placental abruption. These tests should be done especially after three months of pregnancy. Both low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) and unfractionated heparin are the choice of treatment in pregnancy-related VTE. These heparins do not penetrate placenta, so they are safe.  Recurrence of VTE in pregnancy is 1-13 %. The pregnant women who have antithrombin deficiency and history of VTE with all types of congenital thrombophilia are accepted to be in high-risk group and aggressive thromboprophylaxis should be done in these subjects. Pregnant women who had no history of VTE with heterozygote protein C deficiency and homozygote FV-L and prothrombin gene mutations and combined thrombophilia excluding antithrombin deficiency are in moderate group and thromboprophylaxis should also be done. Heterozygote protein S  deficiency, FV-L, prothrombin gene mutations are in low-risk for VTE, so that thromboprophylaxis should not be recommended. However, thromboprophylaxis should be performed in severe preeclampsia, recurrent pregnancy loss, intrauterine fetal death and IUGR and also air travels more than four hours. Thromboprophylaxis with LMWH should be done during the pregnancy and the first six weeks following labor thereafter.

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