Anticoagulation in pregnancy.

Pregnancy-associated thrombosis is an important cause of morbidity and mortality during pregnancy. Anticoagulation therapy is an important component of the management of thrombotic complications in pregnancy but may result in fetal and maternal complications. Although evidence-based recommendations are available for the prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism, the management of pregnant women with mechanical valves still presents a challenge, because there are no controlled clinical trials to provide guidelines for optimal antithrombotic therapy. This review presents information on anticoagulation therapy during pregnancy for thromboembolic prophylaxis in women with various cardiovascular disorders, focusing on patients with mechanical heart valves.