heparin and pregnancy question - northeast

[ArchivalUser]

why its better to give unfractionated heparin during labour and delivery than LMWH?

why its better to give LMWH during pregnancy than unfractionated heparin?

[ArchivalUser]

Unfractionated heparin:
- has a high molecular weight which precludes transplacental transfer.
- devoid of known teratogenic risk and does not anticoagulate the fetus

so used in labour and delievery.

BUT
- relative difficulty of maintaining a stable therapeutic response
- inconvenience of parenteral administration,
- complications of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia

Because of this reasons Unfractionated heparin not used in pregnancy

LMW heparin may resolve the difficulty in achieving a sustained, stable therapeutic response and may reduce the inconvenience of parenteral administration (increased bioavailability and a longer half-life)

[ArchivalUser]

good to know.

so thrombocyopenia risk is lesser with LMWH than unfractionated?

would you mind to share the source of your answer harry?

[ArchivalUser]

yes thrombocyopenia risk is low with LMWH

source of info:
Harrison's principle of Internal Medicine
uptodate.com

[ArchivalUser]

thanks.