Pregnancy aspirin advice issued

www.grub4life.com  today reports that a small dose of aspirin in pregnancy can help prevent high blood pressure complications, expert guidance for the NHS in England and Wales says.  25-08-2010

High blood pressure in pregnancy is linked to pre-eclampsia - a leading cause of maternal death in the UK.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence says women at risk need aspirin from the 12th week of pregnancy until the birth of the child.

Up to 5% of first-time mothers will develop pre-eclampsia, figures show.  And midwives say it is likely to become increasingly common. This is because more women are delaying pregnancy until they are older and more are also overweight - two major risk factors for high blood pressure in pregnancy.

High blood pressure in pregnancy can also lead to premature birth, stillbirth and babies being smaller than average.

Low-dose (75mg) aspirin is not routinely given to pregnant women and NICE hopes the advice will ensure consistent standards across the country.

With thanks to www.bbc.co.uk
 
To read the full story go to:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11073838