Anticoagulants and pregnancy: when are they safe?

Cleve Clin J Med

Department of Medicine and Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Published: February 2009

Prescribing anticoagulants to pregnant women can be difficult and stressful. Fortunately, low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs) and unfractionated heparin are quite safe and efficacious when properly selected, dosed, and monitored. Maternal and fetal concerns must be considered at all times, with a careful assessment of the risks and benefits of anticoagulant therapy in each patient. Further research should help to clarify who should receive thromboprophylaxis, how to prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with various thrombophilias, and how best to treat pregnant women who have a prosthetic heart valve.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.3949/ccjm.75a.072272DOI Listing

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