Prevention of Preeclampsia with low-dose aspirin or calcium supplementation

Background– Preeclampsia is a common and serious complication of pregnancy that affects both mother and newborn. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of low–dose aspirin or calcium supplements, taken during pregnancy, on the incidence of preeclampsia.Methods– The study was a randomized clinical trial on 990 healthy nulliparous women performed at the Isfahan Health Center between April 1998 and March 2001. The women, in their first half of pregnancy, were randomly assigned to one of three groups (group 1 received 75 mg aspirin each day; group 2 were treated with 500 mg oral calcium daily; and group 3 was designated as the control group, receiving no medication). Data were recorded using a standardized questionnaire. Statistical analyses was performed using Chi-square, ANOVA and Duncan tests.Results– Preeclampsia occurred in 15 women in the aspirin group (15/330, 4.6%), 13 women in the calcium group (13/330, 4 %), and 33 women in the control group (33/330, 10.1%). There were significant differences between the aspirin and control groups (p < 0.05), and between the calcium and control groups (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the aspirin and calcium groups (p = 0.7).Conclusion– Our results suggest that prescription of low-dose aspirin or calcium-D during pregnancy in healthy nulliparous women is effective in reducing the occurrence of preeclampsia.