Low-dose aspirin is being used to prevent pre-eclampsia – high blood pressure during pregnancy. Scientists are giving the drug to around 100 women at high risk of the condition, which can cause fits if it is left untreated.
The women will receive the treatment for the first three months of their pregnancy (the condition usually starts in the second trimester), and another 100 women will be given a placebo. Pre-eclampsia is estimated to affect around seven percent of pregnancies and as many as one in three premature births are linked to the condition.
Pre-eclampsia may be due to problems in the placenta, which connects the mother’s blood to the baby’s. Researchers at the University of Washington believe aspirin, which thins the blood, may prevent excessive clotting in the placenta.
The scientists warn that pregnant women should never take aspirin without first consulting their GP.
