Media advice
Monday 25 January 2021
What
Contrary to previous findings, low-dose aspirin therapy before conception and during early pregnancy may increase pregnancy chances and live births among women who have experienced one or two previous miscarriages, according to a study by researchers from the National Institutes of Health. Instead of just looking at the difference in pregnancy rates between women who received aspirin and those who received a placebo, the study also took into account the differences in total aspirin use between women who deviate from daily treatment and those who receive adhered to it.
The research team was led by Enrique Schisterman, Ph.D., from the Epidemiology Branch at NIHs Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and colleagues. It appears in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
The effects of aspirin in pregnancy and reproduction (EAGeR), published in 2014, included more than 1,000 women between the ages of 18 and 40 with one or two previous miscarriages. The women received low-dose aspirin (81 mg) or a placebo daily while trying to conceive. If they got pregnant, they would continue to receive this regime through the 36de week of pregnancy. Although the study found no general difference in pregnancy loss between the two groups, there was a higher birth rate for the subgroup of women who experienced only one previous miscarriage before the 20th week of pregnancy.
In contrast to the original analysis, the current reanalysis considered whether a participant adhered to the treatment or skipped days or discontinued it altogether for side effects such as bleeding, nausea, or vomiting. Compared to the placebo group, every 100 women due to the aspirin regimen for five to seven days a week resulted in eight more positive pregnancy tests, six fewer pregnancy losses, and this resulted in 15 live births. Women who followed the therapy four days a week experienced similar results. The researchers concluded that taking low-dose aspirin at least four days a week may improve the chances of pregnancy and live birth in this group of women.
Who
Lindsey Sjaarda, Ph.D., staff scientist in the NICHD Epidemiology branch, is available for comment.
h3> Article
Naimi, AI, et al. The effect of pre-initiated low-dose aspirin on human chorionic gonadotropin-detected pregnancy, pregnancy loss and live birth: per protocol analysis of a randomized trial Annals of Internal Medicine. 2021
Over the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD): NICHD leads research and training to understand human development, improve reproductive health, improve the lives of children and adolescents and optimize the capabilities for all. Visit https://www.nichd.nih.gov for more information.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):
NIH, the country’s medical research agency, contains 27 institutes and centers and is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency that conducts and supports basic, clinical, and translational medical research, investigating the causes, treatments, and drugs for common and rare diseases. Visit www.nih.gov for more information on NIH and its programs.
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