Inherited thrombophilia and stillbirth

Thrombophilias are inherited or acquired conditions that predispose individuals to thromboembolism. New inherited thrombophilias are recognized each year. Some, but not all, studies have found an association between inherited thrombophilias and adverse pregnancy outcomes, including fetal loss. The controversy regarding the clinical implications of thrombophilias in pregnancy is clouded by differences in study populations, the number of thrombophilias tested, interactions between thrombophilias, and the retrospective nature of most studies, just to name a few factors. The lack of adequately designed studies also extends to clinical management. Clear evidence to determine when to test, whom to test, which thrombophilias to test for, when to treat, and what to treat with is not available. Further studies to investigate these questions are urgently needed.