Aspirin Pregnancy Alert Urged

The Food and Drug Administration today proposed new labeling requirements for aspirin that would caution pregnant women against taking the popular pain reliever during the last three months of pregnancy because of the threat of bleeding.

It is similar to the warning already required for ibuprofen, a pain reliever introduced in 1974 and marketed under such names as Advil and Nuprin. The aspirin warning would say: “IMPORTANT: Do not take this product during the last three months of pregnancy unless directed by a doctor. Aspirin taken near the time of delivery may cause bleeding problems in both mother and child.”