Risk factors associated with fetal losses in treated antiphospholipid syndrome pregnancies: a multivariate analysis.

ABSTRACT

PROBLEM: Pregnancies in women with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) are associated with obstetric complications despite treatment. The present study analyzes risk factors and evaluates fetal outcome in a large sample of treated APS pregnancies. METHOD OF STUDY Seventy-seven pregnancies in 56 women were included. Twelve selected variables potentially related to the outcome of treated pregnancies were analyzed in a multivariate logistic regression model. RESULTS: Treated women delivered 65 live infants at 24-41 weeks gestation (mean 36.7+/-0.5) but two neonatal deaths occurred. There were seven first-trimester miscarriages (9%) and five intrauterine fetal demises (6.5%). Thus, the probability of having a live baby under treatment was 82% (95% CI 71.3-89.6%), a figure significantly greater (P <0.001) than that observed before therapy (25.7%; 95% CI 18.7-33.7%). Variables related with fetal outcome in the multivariate model were preconceptional use of aspirin and abnormal umbilical artery Doppler velocimetry at 23-26 weeks gestation. CONCLUSIONS: The present report shows that in treated APS pregnancies i) aspirin treatment started preconceptionally is an independent and significant prognostic factor associated with favorable fetal outcome; and ii) abnormal velocity waveforms in the umbilical artery predict adverse outcome of pregnancy.