Reevaluation of low dose aspirin in prevention of preeclampsia in healthy nulliparous

ABSTRACT

Although low-dose aspirin has been reported to reduce the incidence of preeclampsia among women at high risk for this complication, its efficacy and safety in healthy, nulliparous pregnant women are not known. 62 normotensive nulliparous women who were 13 to 26 weeks pregnant were studied to determine whether treatment with aspirin reduced the incidence of preeclampsia. Of this group, 31 women received 60 mg of aspirin per day and 31 received placebo for the remainder of their pregnancies. The effect of aspirin on maternal and neonatal morbidity was also evaluated. Of the original group of 62 women, 58 [95%] were followed throughout pregnancy and the immediate pureperium. The incidence of preeclampsia was lower in the aspirin group [1 of 28 women [4.6%]] than in the placebo group [2 of 30 women [6.3%]] [relative risk, 0.7, 95% confidence interval, 0.6 to 1.0, P = 0.05], whereas the incidence of gestational hypertension was 6.7 and 5.9%, respectively. There were no significant differences in the infants' birth weight or in the incidence of fetal growth retardation, postpartum hemorrhage, or neonatal bleeding problems between the two groups