[Anticoagulation and antiaggregation during pregnancy]

For haemostatic and circulatory reasons pregnancy is associated with an about 6-fold relative increase of thrombotic risk which is further raised by additional risk factors, such as history of thrombosis or acquired and hereditary thrombophilia, respectively. Recently, the thrombophilias have been revealed as risk factors for severe preeclampsia, abruptio placentae, fetal growth retardation, abortion and still birth as well. Thus, there are several situations in which the question for the need of antithrombotic medication is raised in a pregnant woman, either for therapy of acute thromboembolism or for prophylaxis of thrombosis and obstetrical complications, respectively. While acute thromboembolism has to be treated in every case, indication for prophylaxis has to be weighed in the light of the individual risk profile of the pregnant woman and the potential side effects and inconvenience of the medication. The first part of this article deals with the pregnancy related problems of coumarins, heparins and aspirin and demonstrates that the low molecular weight heparins are the anticoagulants of choice for most indications in pregnancy. The second part of this overview shows in which specific situations and how the antithrombotic medications mentioned above are used in pregnancy.