For some women who are trying to get pregnant, taking a low dose of aspirin daily may boost their chances of having a baby, according to a new analysis.
The analysis, which looked at women who’d had a prior pregnancy loss and taken part in an earlier study, found that women who benefited from the aspirin regimen had high blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation in the body. Among these women, those who took a daily aspirin were 31 percent more likely to become pregnant, and 35 percent more likely to carry a pregnancy to term, than those who took a placebo.
Prior to this report, researchers knew that inflammation in the body could contribute to reproductive problems. For example, women with pelvic inflammatory disease or polycystic ovary syndrome — two conditions that involve inflammation — are at increased risk for infertility. But few studies have examined whether lowering levels of inflammation in a woman’s body would affect her chances of successfully becoming pregnant and giving birth.
In the new analysis, the researchers analyzed information from more than 1,200 U.S. women ages 18 to 40 who had previously experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth. The women were randomly assigned to take either a low dose of daily aspirin (81 milligrams) — which is thought to counteract inflammation — or a placebo, for six menstrual cycles while they were trying to become pregnant. If the women became pregnant, they continued taking the pills until 36 weeks of pregnancy. (A full-term pregnancy is 39 to 40 weeks)
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