Objective: Recent studies suggest an increased prevalence of obstetric complications in female carriers of hereditary or acquired thrombophilias. The aim of the study was to determine if carriership of the factor V (FV) Leiden mutation (activated protein C [APC] resistance) is higher in women who have had of placental abruption during pregnancy.
Design: A retrospective case-control study.
Setting: University Hospital MAS, Malmö, Sweden.
Methods: A comparison of 102 women with placental abruption with 2371 prospectively collected controls. Carriership of FV Leiden was determined and the women were interviewed.
Main outcome measures: Proportion of FV Leiden carriership, first degree heritage of thrombosis and previous placental abruption in cases and controls.
Results: Carriage of FV Leiden was found in 15.7% of women who have had placental abruption as compared with 10.8% of controls (P = 0.12, odds ratio [OR] = 1.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.9-2.7). Around 20% of women with placental abruption reported first degree heritage for venous thrombosis, as compared with 6.7% of controls (P < or = 0.001).
Conclusions: FV Leiden carriership was not significantly different in women with placental abruption. However, there was an increased prevalence of first degree heritage for venous thrombosis in women with placental abruption, indicating a higher prevalence of thrombophilia among women with placental abruption.