If severe, it will lead to the loss of the pregnancy. Many women with these antibodies may be asymptomatic until they suffer recurrent pregnancy loss. However, it is very important to note that many women with phospholipid antibodies never have a problem with pregnancy. There have been many cases of women with horrible systemic disease who gave birth to numerous healthy children. This is a condition where blind men feeling the elephant is extremely important to keep in mind.
Obstetricians test for phospholipid antibodies only in women who have reproductive loss.
It can be easy for an obstetrician to forget that many women who have these antibodies never have a problem in pregnancy. If you do have these antibodies your doctor cannot automatically assume they are the cause for your pregnancy losses or that anticoagulation is your best treatment. Tissue or slides from your previous losses should be examined by a perinatal pathologist to determine whether these antibodies did indeed contribute to your pregnancy loss, or whether some other reason might be causing or contributing to it. This other reason would need to be treated as well in order to ensure your next pregnancy the best chance of success. You may be screened for many different types of antiphospholipids.