Background
Recurrent miscarriage syndrome (RMS) is a common obstetric problem, affecting over 500,000 women in the United States per year.
Infertility, although less well defined epidemiologically, is also a common clinical problem.
Proper evaluation can determine the etiology of RMS in almost all women. The most common hemostasis-related cause is a thrombotic disorder, of which the most common is antiphospholipid syndrome (APLS) Hemorrhagic defects are very rare hemostasis-related causes of RMS, but these conditions are also treatable in many instances and should be investigated in appropriate cases.
Treatment of the common procoagulant defects consists of preconception low-dose aspirin, followed by the addition of immediate postconception low-dose unfractionated or low-molecular-weight heparin.
For patient education information, see the Women’s Health Center and Pregnancy Center, as well as Miscarriage, Threatened Miscarriage, and Infertility.