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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 Moreover, aspirin had no significant effect on the risk of death of the fetus or baby. It didn't boost the risk of bleeding for either mothers or their infants, nor did it raise risks for underweight newborns.
Askie's team said no particular group of women was more or less likely to benefit from aspirin.
"Women at risk of preeclampsia should discuss the potential benefits and harms of this treatment with their doctor," Askie advised.
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But one expert was less than impressed with the findings.
"The results of this study were, to a large extent, disappointing," said Dr. James Roberts, the director of the Magee-Womens Research Institute at the University of Pittsburgh, and author of an accompanying editorial.
Roberts had hoped the study would have shown a larger protective effect -- especially in the women who are at the greatest risk for the problem. "It's difficult to determine if it's more beneficial in any subset of women or at what dose," he said.
"In very high-risk women, the use of aspirin is justified," Roberts said. Women who are at the highest risk for preeclampsia are those who have high blood pressure and have also suffered preeclampsia in previous pregnancies. This group "are almost certain to develop it," he said.
Women at risk because of high blood pressure, pre-pregnancy diabetes or preeclampsia in one previous pregnancy have about a 20 percent risk of developing preeclampsia, Roberts noted.
"For these women, you would have to treat 50 with aspirin to prevent one case of preeclampsia," Roberts said. "For a woman, whether benefits outweigh the risks is a decision that she has to work out with her doctor," he said.
More information
To learn more about preeclampsia, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
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