OUTCOME OF 75 NEWBORNS OF ANTIPHOSPHOLIPID ANTIBODY-POSITIVE MOTHERS TREATED WITH CALCIUM HEPARIN DURING PREGNANCY

Objective The outcome of 55 infants born to 53 antiphospholipid antibo dy (aPL)-positive mothers treated during pregnancy with calcium hepari n is described. Methods The clinical state of the children was evaluat ed immediately after delivery by a clinical examination, and a neonato logical check-up was performed no later than 24 hours after birth. Neo nates with problems were transferred to the neonatal intensive care un it After their discharge from hospital the clinical stare of the babie s was followed by means of interviews with the pediatricians and mothe rs for a period varying between 1.33 and 5.66 years (mean 2.51 +/- 0.9 2 SD). Results The newborns comprised 30 females and 25 males, includi ng 2 sets of twins, delivered between the 25th and 40th weeks of gesta tion (mean 36.69 +/- 2.91 SD). They had a mean birth weight of 2.828 g +/- 706.50 SD (range 800 - 4.000) and a mean Apgar score at 5 minutes of 9.60 +/- 0.68 SD (range 7 - 10). Soon after delivery, 12 children (21.81%) were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit for periods varying between 2 and 120 days (mean 30.33 +/- 33.40 SD), after which the clinical course was normal. All of these neonates suffered from c omplications exclusively due to prematurity Malformations and signs of thrombosis or other aPL-related disorders were not observed in any of the newborns. During the follow-lip, none of the diseases suffered by the 55 children differed from those of the normal pediatric populatio n; in particular aPL-related manifestations were never observed. Concl usion These data indicate the absence of aPL-related problems in the o ffspring of aPL-positive mothers treated during pregnancy with calcium heparin.