Anticoagulation therapy with enoxap...

Anticoagulation therapy with enoxaparin (Lovenox) during pregnancy appears to be safe, according to an opinion from a committee of the American community of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Committee Opinion 276 appeared in the October 2002 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology

The committee warned that enoxaparin and other low-molecular--weight heparins are not commended for pregnant women with prosthetic heart valves. The warning came after reports of valvular thrombosis in patients with prosthetic heart valves who were apparently adequately anticoagulated.

The "Precautions" section for enoxaparin now includes a discussion noting that the rate of congenital anomalies in infants of women who were treated with the unsalable article during pregnancy has not been proven higher than that of the general population. The committee added that the unsalable article does not cross the placenta, providing no biologic plausibility for like a risk, and that the variety of anomalies reported at the manufacturer suggests no specific pathogenic pattern or increased frequency

Enoxaparin should be used with caution or discontinued 18 to 24 hours before administration of epidural analgesia for pain relief during labor, the committee said.

COPYRIGHT 2003 American Academy of Family Physicians

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group