The placenta has been the most neglected human reproduction organ for ages. There exists a strange relationship between obstetricians and the placenta. Obstetricians have always been blaming the placenta for most of the pregnancy related complications. They are right, unfortunately. The problem is, however, that they have never made a serious effort to study the placenta and find ways to help its proper development; such treatment of the placenta could prevent most if not all of the complications for which placenta is considered responsible.

For practical purposes, if you are told that you have a low PAPP-A that increases your baby’ s risk for Down syndrome and your baby turns out to be fine after the CVS, then you should ask your doctor to screen you for thrombophilia and treat you accordingly. Even in the absence of positive thrombophilia testing, with a 20% risk for fetal and neonatal death, treatment with anticoagulants is well justified even in the absence of clinical trials. It will take at least 15-20 years before “appropriate” studies are conducted to standardize such a treatment. At Kofinas Perinatal we cannot wait for such treatments. We develop them and use them while we save countless lives.