Recent prospective and retrospective family studies support the view that deficiencies of the naturally occurring anticoagulants (antithrombin, protein C and protein S) are of greater clinical significance than heterozygous carriage of factor V Leiden or the prothrombin gene mutation.59,76
Recent studies have been consistent with a higher risk of pregnancy-related VTE in women who are antithrombin deficient or who are homozygous for factor V Leiden, the prothrombin gene mutation or are compound heterozygotes for factor V Leiden and the prothrombin gene mutation.61,62,77,78
Women should be stratified according to both the level of risk associated with their thrombophilia (see Table below) and the presence or absence of a family history or other risk factors.79
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