Low dose aspirin in pregnancy: a clinical and biochemical study of effects on the newborn

Low dose Aspirin in pregnancy reduces the incidence of intra uterine growth retardation (IUGR) and pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) in women at risk for these complications. To investigate if this drug, even in a low dose, could expose the newborn to hemorrhagic complications, we studied ten neonates whose mothers had been taking 50 mg/day of Aspirin from the 12th week of pregnancy until delivery and compared them with eight newborns whose mothers didn't take the drug. No hemorrhagic complications (emathemesis, ecchymoses or petechiae, subconjunctival hemorrhage, cephaloematomas etc.) were observed in the fetuses exposed to Aspirin or in the control group. No hemorrhagic lesions were found by ultrasound brain scan on the fourth day of life. Newborns exposed to Aspirin showed a significantly lower thromboxane concentration on the first day of life (median 73 ng/ml versus 217 ng/ml); however on the fourth day the level of serum thromboxane in the cases exposed reached the values of the unexposed ones (median 146 ng/ml versus 143 ng/ml). In conclusion low dose Aspirin in pregnancy can be considered a safe drug without and adverse effect on the newborn.