Fibrinogen and its fraction during pregnancy and puerperium.

A study involving the determination of total fibrinogen and high molecular weight (HMW) fibrinogen was performed with the glycine precipitation method. Ninety patients in different trimesters of pregnancy and 37 non-pregnant controls participated in the study. Total fibrinogen was found to increase during pregnancy until delivery, after which it declined gradually, peaking once more on the 3rd day of puerperium. HMW fibrinogen showed a similar pattern during pregnancy and puerperium, but markedly increased at the time of delivery. These elevated values during pregnancy indicate a significant change in the fibrinolytic system, which is believed to be depressed during pregnancy, enhanced during the postpartum period, and stabilized after the 3rd day of puerperium.