Low-dose aspirin in pregnancy: who? when? how much? and why?

Purpose of review The use of low dose aspirin (LDA) has become routine in prenatal care for a variety of diagnoses, most importantly in women with a history of preeclampsia and associated poor pregnancy outcomes. Although LDA is currently indicated in patients considered to be at risk for development of preeclampsia, optimal dosing, timing of treatment initiation, and persons of benefit are under investigation. Several studies have also looked at LDA treatment and its effect on other maternal and fetal outcomes. This review summarizes the current guidelines for the use of LDA, incorporating the most recent research findings, and offers possible future implications of LDA treatment. Recent findings Over 10 years ago, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the World Health Organization, and the United States Preventive Service Task Force began publishing guidelines focused on the use of LDA in pregnancy. Since the release of these guidelines, several large studies have re-evaluated the use of LDA with a focus on initiation of treatment and dosing. The combined results of these studies suggest a decreased rate of preeclampsia at aspirin doses>100 mg when treatment is initiated prior to 16 weeks of gestation. Summary Overall, early initiation of LDA has been shown to decrease the development of preeclampsia in patients considered at increased risk. Current literature suggests increasing the recommended dose to>100 mg to optimize these ris...
Source: Current Opinion in Obstetrics and Gynecology - Category: OBGYN Tags: MATERNAL FETAL MEDICINE: Edited by Deirdre Lyell, Mark Boddy and Martha Rode Source Type: research