From Denise Mann
HealthDay reporter
TUESDAY, Jan 26, 2021 (HealthDay News) – Could something as simple as taking a low-dose aspirin once a day protect against pregnancy loss in women who have already miscarried?
New research suggests this is the case, although it is not yet fully understood how low-dose aspirin prevents miscarriages.
“Aspirin is anti-inflammatory and, in a certain subset of women, miscarriage can be the result of underlying inflammation,” noted study author Ashley Naimi, associate professor of epidemiology at Emory University in Atlanta.
In his study of more than 1,200 women aged 18 to 40 who had a history of one or two miscarriages, women who took low-dose aspirin (81 milligrams) five to seven days a week were more likely , got pregnant, stayed pregnant, and got pregnant giving birth to a live baby. The same was seen in women who took aspirin at least four days a week.
The study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine on Jan. 25.
The new results contradict an earlier analysis of the same data, which found no difference in pregnancy loss in women who took aspirin or a dummy pill during conception. When the researchers returned to the data and examined whether or not women adhered to the daily aspirin regimen, they found that the consistency appeared to be related to the results.
“Aspirin in this group of women could play an important role in reducing the risk of pregnancy loss, but they must stick to the regimen,” Naimi said.
Many women in the study did not strictly adhere to the aspirin protocol. They may have stopped taking aspirin while attempting pregnancy or immediately after pregnancy due to side effects such as stomach irritation, nausea, vomiting and risk of bleeding, he said.
Starting low-dose aspirin before you get pregnant also makes a difference, Naimi said. “The beneficial effects of aspirin were stronger when women started taking it before pregnancy and weaker when they started taking it after the sixth week of pregnancy,” he said.
continuation
Always get the green light from your doctor before taking low-dose aspirin if you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant, Naimi warned, as some people may be allergic to aspirin.
The new findings were comforting news for Dr. Sami David, a New York City gynecologist specializing in infertility. David, who wasn’t part of the new study, recommends low-dose aspirin daily to women who have wanted to get pregnant for more than 40 years.
In addition to cooling down inflammation, daily low-dose aspirin likely increases the blood supply to the placenta due to its blood-thinning properties, David said. The placenta provides oxygen and nutrients to a growing baby.
“Daily low-dose aspirin is safe for both mother and child,” he said.
The only downside is the risk of stomach irritation, David added. “Make sure you take it with your food to reduce the chances of it upset your stomach,” he suggested.
In some people, aspirin use can lead to bleeding ulcers, David noted. Pregnant women have routine blood tests that would pick up on this. “If an ulcer develops, women are advised to stop taking aspirin.”
More information
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has more information on recurrent miscarriages.
SOURCES: Ashley Naima, PhD, Associate Professor of Epidemiology, Emory University, Atlanta; Sami David, MD, obstetrician-gynecologist, New York City; Annals of Internal Medicine, January 25, 2021
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