To the Editor: The recent article by the Obstetric Medicine Group of Australasia alluded to the increasing relevance and importance of thrombophilia screening following adverse pregnancy outcomes, namely recurrent miscarriage, stillbirth, retarded intrauterine growth and pre-eclampsia.1 Formerly, these outcomes were generally attributed to "placental insufficiency", where a cause was not readily identified.

Screening for disorders in the uteroplacental circulation after such adverse pregnancy outcomes was formerly confined to investigations for an autoimmune basis, such as antinuclear antibodies, anticentromere antibodies, anti-DNA antibodies and the lupus inhibitor. However, in recent years, it has become more apparent that inherited or acquired thrombophilias may play a significant role in certain adverse pregnancy outcomes.2-5 Reports from Israel2,3 and elsewhere have suggested that thrombophilias can be found in up to 65% of women with recurrent pregnancy loss of unknown cause, as well as in cases of intrauterine growth retardation, stillbirth, placental abruption and pre-eclampsia. It is also known that certain thrombophilic factors are more likely to produce thrombogenic changes and hence are possible deficiencies in the uteroplacental circulation.

Preliminary work has shown that treating women who have had recurrent pregnancy loss complicated by thrombophilia with antithrombotic agents (low molecular weight heparins) is beneficial, with improved pregnancy outcomes in a significant number of these cases.3

With the growing understanding of the role of thrombophilias in pregnancy, it seems that thrombophilia screening will assume a more prominent role in investigating patients after recurrent miscarriage, stillbirth, intrauterine growth retardation and pre-eclampsia.