Prevention and Treatment of Obstetric Antiphospholipid Syndrome

  • Guilherme Ramires de Jesús
  • Karen J. Gibbins
  • Robert M. Silver
  • D. Ware Branch
Chapter
First Online:

Abstract

Obstetric manifestations of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), such as recurrent miscarriage, fetal death, and preeclampsia, have a significant impact in a patient’s life. Several trials have been designed to improve gestational outcomes in women with APS; the combination of low-dose aspirin and heparin has emerged as the standard treatment for the disease, although not without criticism by some experts. Limitations, such as small number of patients, variable definitions of fetal loss, and different laboratory inclusion criteria, have created disparity in the results of those trials. In this chapter, we discuss how to assess patients with pregnancy morbidity related to antiphospholipid antibodies, present published trials, and assess different treatments for obstetric APS.

Keywords

Obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome Fetal loss Miscarriage Heparin Aspirin Intrauterine growth restriction 
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Copyright information

© Springer International Publishing AG 2017

Authors and Affiliations

  • Guilherme Ramires de Jesús
    • 1
  • Karen J. Gibbins
    • 2
  • Robert M. Silver
    • 3
  • D. Ware Branch
    • 4
  1. 1.Department of ObstetricsHospital Universitario Pedro Ernesto, Universidade do Estado do Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroBrazil
  2. 2.Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal-Fetal MedicineUniversity of Utah Health CareSalt Lake CityUSA
  3. 3.Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyUniversity of Utah Health Sciences CenterSalt Lake CityUSA
  4. 4.Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyUniversity of UtahSalt Lake CityUSA

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