ANTICOAGULANTS IN PREGNANCY - FETAL EFFECTS

Anticoagulants are used during pregnancy to prevent venous thrombo-emb olism in high-risk patients, to prevent systemic embolism in patients with prosthetic heart valves or native valvular heart disease, and to treat patients with acute venous thrombo-embolism. Neither unfractiona ted nor low-molecular-weight heparin cross the placenta and both appea r to be safe for the fetus, Oral anticoagulants do cross the placenta and they have been associated with the development of warfarin embryop athy, central nervous system anomalies, and fetal haemorrhage. The tru e incidence of these events is not known. Both heparin and oral antico agulants can be safely administered to nursing mothers.