ABSTRACT
Over the course of human pregnancy, the significance of physiologic changes that occur is such that it often becomes no longer appropriate for the physician to evaluate her according to standards that have been set through the observation and study of men and nonpregnant women. Understanding physiologic changes in pregnancy is important in evaluating common symptoms associated with pregnancy, interpreting laboratory values in the parturient, and understanding pathologic conditions to which pregnant women are susceptible. This chapter provides a brief description of the changes in reproductive hormones during gestation followed by a more in-depth review of the behavior and clinical application of thyroid hormones during pregnancy. Pregnancy is characterized by both quantitative and qualitative changes in the hematologic system. It also reviews the theories and limitations of the evidence surrounding the diagnosis of thrombophilia during pregnancy.
