An appraisal of warfarin therapy during pregnancy.

A retrospective analysis of 40 patients with cardiac disease who received sodium warfarin (Coumadin) therapy during pregnancy has been performed. The fetal mortality was 12,5%, but no case of congenital epiphyseal stippling was detected. The incidence of maternal postpartum haemorrhage was high. Warfarin should whenever possible be withheld during the 1st trimester of pregnancy and replaced by heparin.