Baby Aspirin Recommended During Pregnancy to Reduce Risk of Preeclampsia

October 6, 2021 by Alexa Hornbeck
Baby Aspirin Recommended During Pregnancy to Reduce Risk of Preeclampsia
Aspirin™ has been an important medicine for more than 115 years because of its remarkable pain relief, as well as cardiovascular (CV) event prevention properties. (Bayer AG)

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force issued a new recommendation for the use of low-dose aspirin as a preventive medication for preeclampsia, a hypertension disorder in pregnant women that can lead to maternal and infant death.

“The evidence holds up. We have a way to reduce the risk of preeclampsia, which is a very concerning disease that leads to morbidity and mortality for both moms and babies and health disparities, and the medication is not expensive,” said Aaron Caughey, a member of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and professor and chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Oregon Health and Science University. 

The USPSTF consists of a panel of 16 non-federal employees from across the country, who specialize in research in preventive medicine, such as OB-GYNs, and provide recommendation statements based on extensive analysis and public comments. 

In 2014, the task force recommended the use of low-dose aspirin, typically about 81-mg dose, starting at 12 weeks of pregnancy as a preventive medication for preeclampsia for persons who are at high risk, such as those with diabetes. 

Preeclampsia is thought to arise from abnormal placentation, changes in inflammatory processes, and increases in blood pressure during pregnancy, but Caughey said its etiology is uncertain. 

Caughey also said the reason why aspirin may help reduce the chance of preeclampsia might be its ability to mitigate the implementation of the placentation and reduce inflammation in the body.

The task force revisits their recommendations about every five years to examine new evidence, and in late 2018 and 2019 took another look at the topic.

The 2021 recommendations came after the task force conducted a systematic review of trial data of both maternal outcomes and prevention of preeclampsia that was derived from 25,000 pregnant women between January 2013-January 2021. 

The analysis of the available evidence prompted a change in the recommendations, which now put a stronger emphasis on moderate risk factors for preeclampsia, including race, socioeconomic status, and a previous In vitro fertilization pregnancy.

“The Black patients we take care of have higher rates of blood pressure and diabetes, and even when you control for those, there’s still higher risk factors for preeclampsia,” said Caughey.

Evidence provided by the Task Force in the new recommendation supports the disproportionate impact observed for non-Hispanic Black women, as preeclampsia was estimated to occur in 69.8 per 1000 deliveries among Black women compared with 43.4 per 1000 deliveries among White women.

“Racial disparities are a huge problem in maternal health, and we need to look at socioeconomic and demographic factors that create risk going into a pregnancy,” said Laney Poye, director of communications and engagement at the Preeclampsia Foundation.

“Overall, clinicians are seeing a sicker population of pregnant women, and since the 2014 report we are seeing a growing gap in racial disparities in maternal health care,” said Poye.

The Preeclampsia Foundation is a national organization that works to improve the outcomes of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, as Poye said that 60% of preeclampsia-related deaths are preventable.

“One of the things we work hard to do is to help patients understand why their doctors are talking to them about aspirin. We have resources on our website to let them know what to talk to their doctors about with preeclampsia,” said Poye. 

Preeclampsia contributes to 4% of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality rates in the US, and accounts for 6% of preterm births and 19% of medically indicated preterm births, based on evidence reviewed by the task force. 

“One of the reasons they reissued these recommendations with stronger language is that we know maternal mortality and morbidity is going in the wrong direction, and this is a way to emphasize to the OB-GYN community that this is one way we can address one aspect of that,” said Poye. 

A+
a-

Corrections

This article has been changed since publication to correct errors in the original. The Task Force recommended the use of low-dose aspirin starting at 12 weekss of pregnancy. Also, the number of members on the task force is 16, not the 14 originally reported.

  • baby aspirin
  • Preclampsia
  • US PReventive Services Task FOrce
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Health

    Biden Announcing New Rule to Protect Consumers Who Purchase Short-Term Health Insurance Plans

    President Joe Biden on Thursday announced new steps to protect consumers who buy short-term health insurance plans that critics say amount to junk. A... Read More

    President Joe Biden on Thursday announced new steps to protect consumers who buy short-term health insurance plans that critics say amount to junk. A new rule finalized by the Democratic president's administration will limit these plans to just three months. And the plans can only be renewed for a maximum... Read More

    March 27, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    One-Time Treatment Could Revitalize Immune Systems in the Elderly

    PALO ALTO, Calif. — A new study suggests that a one-time treatment that modulates the composition of a type of... Read More

    PALO ALTO, Calif. — A new study suggests that a one-time treatment that modulates the composition of a type of immune cell could potentially revitalize the immune systems of the elderly, helping their bodies better react to viral and bacterial threats. The research was carried out... Read More

    March 27, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    Insurers to Expand Access to ‘Navigation Services’ for Cancer Patients

    WASHINGTON — Seven of the nation’s largest health insurance companies are expanding access to so-called “navigation services” to help patients... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Seven of the nation’s largest health insurance companies are expanding access to so-called “navigation services” to help patients and their families navigate the myriad challenges that might arise during treatment for cancer and other serious illnesses. The insurers involved are Aetna; Blue Cross Blue... Read More

    Five Takeaways From the Abortion Pill Case Before US Supreme Court

    WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Supreme Court justices on Tuesday did not appear ready to limit access to the abortion pill mifepristone,... Read More

    WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Supreme Court justices on Tuesday did not appear ready to limit access to the abortion pill mifepristone, in a case that could have far-reaching implications for millions of American women and for scores of drugs regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. It's... Read More

    Biden and Harris Argue Democrats Will Preserve Health Care and Republicans Would Take It Away

    RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday promoted their health care agenda in... Read More

    RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday promoted their health care agenda in the battleground state of North Carolina, arguing that Democrats like themselves would preserve access to care while Republicans would reverse gains made over the past decade... Read More

    March 26, 2024
    by Tom Ramstack
    Supreme Court Skeptical of Ban on Abortion Pill Mifepristone

    WASHINGTON — A hearing Tuesday before the Supreme Court indicated a majority of the justices want to maintain women’s access... Read More

    WASHINGTON — A hearing Tuesday before the Supreme Court indicated a majority of the justices want to maintain women’s access to the abortion pill mifepristone despite objections from anti-abortion activists. The doctors and organizations who sued argued the Food and Drug Administration was wrong in granting... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top