Aspirin and Pre-eclampsia

Filed in archive Pregnancy on May 21, 2007

I've mentioned aspirin before for helping to control heart attacks and strokes. However, years ago, When I was pregnant, everyone warned me not to take medication of any kind, and that included aspirin, unless my doctor prescribed it.

Recent research,however, suggests that aspirin might be of benefit in pregnancy. An article I found in the New York Sun says:

The blood-pressure condition, called pre-eclampsia, and births before 34 weeks of pregnancy were 10% less likely in women taking aspirin, researchers led by Lisa Askie of the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia found in an analysis of more than 30,000 pregnant mothers.

Still, it seems that my advisers weren't far off the mark, and a word of caution is advised. The ThatsFit blog warns:

Pregnant women should never self-medicate with aspirin as there are risks involved with long-term aspirin use. The decision to use aspirin during pregnancy should only be made after consulting with your doctor and weighing the benefits and risks involved.