Thursday, April 3, 2014

How aspirin could boost fertility: Drug improves blood flow to the womb, making pregnancy more likely

  • But aspirin does not reduce the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth
  • It can help women who have recently lost a baby to conceive again
  • This could be because the drug increases blood flow to the uterus




  • Taking aspirin could help some women to conceive, new research suggests
    Taking aspirin could help some women to conceive, new research suggests
    Taking aspirin could increase a woman’s fertility, new research suggests.
    U.S. scientists found low doses of the drug could improve the chances of conception and of having a live birth.
    But, contrary to popular belief, they discovered taking the drug does not prevent miscarriage.
    Researchers at the National Institutes of Health say many doctors prescribe low doses of aspirin to women who have had a miscarriage or stillbirth and who want to conceive again.
    However, they say the effectiveness of this treatment had not been proven.
    So, they randomly assigned more than 1,000 women with a history of pregnancy loss either a low dose of aspirin daily or a placebo.
    They then followed them for six months while they tried to conceive.
    The researchers found there was no difference in the pregnancy loss rates between the two groups.
    But, they did find that women who had experience a single, recent pregnancy loss had an increased rate of pregnancy and live birth while taking a daily aspirin tablet.
    These women were classed as those who had lost a baby before four and a half months gestation within the past year.
     

    Among these women, 78 per cent became pregnant during the study, compared to 66 per cent of those who took the placebo.
    Some 62 per cent of the women who had had a single recent pregnancy lost and were taking aspirin had a live birth compared to 53 per cent of those not taking the drug.
    It is thought the drug aids conception because it increases blood flow to the uterus
    It is thought the drug aids conception because it increases blood flow to the uterus

    The researchers believe the reason for this could be that aspirin increases blood flow to the womb.
    They are now hoping to study whether aspirin could also help other sub-groups to conceive.
    The findings were published in The Lancet.


    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2595960/How-aspirin-boost-fertility-Drug-improves-blood-flow-womb-making-pregnancy-likely.html#ixzz2xsZfl3nz 
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