Hemostatic variables in patients with intrauterine fetal death

OBJECTIVE: To assess the occurrence of hemostatic disturbances in patients with intrauterine fetal death (IFD). METHOD: The occurrence of abnormal results of hemostatic variables and of bleeding complications was noted from the medical records of 41 patients with IFD, 6 of whom had a multiple pregnancy. RESULT: Apart from the increased platelet count, results of blood coagulation tests in all except one patient with IFD did not differ from normal values. This patient, who had a twin pregnancy with one dead fetus, had an increase in fibrin degradation products and fibrin monomers 4 weeks after IFD and fibrinogenopenia and thrombocytopenia 2 weeks later. CONCLUSION: The deterioration of systemic hemostasis in women with IFD is rare and only occurs after 4 weeks of dead fetus retention; the main signs of this deterioration are fibrinogenopenia and thrombocytopenia.