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Home › Articles › Miscarriage › A Closer Look at Autoimmune Disorders and Miscarriage

A Closer Look at Autoimmune Disorders and Miscarriage

When a Miscarriage Is Caused by Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome

By Virginia Gilbert

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Seligman stresses that not every woman who tests positive for the antibodies has APS. An estimated 2 to 5 percent of women have elevated antibody levels, but only 10 to 20 percent of this group have problems in pregnancy. For those in the high-risk category, possible pregnancy risks include the following:

  • Miscarriage
  • Clotting events, also postpartum
  • Prematurity and intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR)
  • Pre-eclampsia

Anticoagulant Therapy During Pregnancy
When a woman with undiagnosed, untreated APS gets pregnant, her body may begin to reject the fetus. Antibodies form tiny blood clots that enter the placenta and shut off the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the baby, resulting in miscarriage. Although doctors used to wait to diagnose APS until a woman had three consecutive pregnancy losses, many OBs now try to prevent this needless suffering by testing a patient after one or two losses.

Roberta Montgomery of Los Angeles had a normal pregnancy with her son, Roland, now 2 years old. But her second pregnancy ended at 11 weeks after a previous ultrasound had shown a healthy fetal heartbeat. Thinking this an unusual development, Roberta's astute OB checked her for APS and found she had moderate levels of antiphospholipid antibodies. Because Roberta wanted to get pregnant again, her OB sent her to Dr. Hal Dnzer, a Beverly Hills fertility specialist. Dr. Danzer prescribed two blood thinners, baby aspirin and heparin, to prevent clots. Both medications are considered safe during pregnancy, and heparin has proven extremely beneficial in combating miscarriage and intrauterine growth retardation.


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Re: When a Miscarriage Isn't Nature's Way by anonymous on 06/13/2009 05:49AM

I truely think this is my problem. WOuld I also have ringing of the ears after I'm pregnant with APS? I don't feel like my DR. is listening to me.

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