Science / Medicine : Aspirin Aids in Protecting Fetus

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland reported last week in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. that a small daily dose of aspirin--less than half an aspirin--can reduce hypertension in pregnant women and thereby decrease the risk to the fetus from high blood pressure. Pregnancy-induced hypertension occurs in 5% to 15% of all pregnancies and complications resulting from it are a major cause of death among newborns.

The risk of developing pregnancy-induced hypertension dropped by 65% among the aspirin takers, while the risk of delivering a baby with low birth weight declined 44%. The treatment also reduced the need for Cesarean sections by 66%. The researchers found no risk to the infants from the low doses of aspirin.