In the past, women who have suffered a miscarriage have had few options for preventative treatment until they miscarried multiple times. This spring, however, a study is beginning that may offer an alternative.
The study, conducted by UB's Women's Health Research Center, will look at the possible benefits of low-dose aspirin in helping women to get pregnant again after their first miscarriage.
Participating in the clinical trials is UB Professor of Social and Preventative Medicine, Jean Wactawski-Wende, Ph.D. She explains the reasoning behind the study and the previous knowledge that led up to its creation, citing examples in studies of heart disease as well as other reproductive studies.
"Aspirin helps to reduce platelet aggregation, [is] thought to have other, cardiovascular, positive effects, [ and has] been shown to be helpful in certain conditions during pregnancy, including preeclampsia, and so there were many reasons to think aspirin could have a positive effect on both the implantation as well as the course of the pregnancy," she said. Preeclampsia, according to Professor Wactawski-Wende, is a condition occurring in five percent of pregnancies, characterized by symptoms such as fluid retention, elevated blood pressure, and protein in urine. The condition can result in seizures and preterm delivery.
She also noted that there had been other studies done on low-dose aspirin in the past, particularly in the area of reproductive health. According to her, studies have already shown the benefits of aspirin in treating certain disorders related to pregnancy, such as thrombosis and preeclampsia, as well as increasing the likelihood of implantation with in vitro fertilization. She attributed this to aspirin's properties as an anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory.
The study specifically targets women who have had one previous and recent miscarriage.
"We're especially interested in women who have had one previous recent miscarriage, because these women may be at higher risk of having an underlying thrombophelia." She defined a thrombophelia as a clotting disorder.
She also noted that little is known about the causes of a miscarriage, especially in the first occurence.
"You don't know the first time, and it's very rare that they do any evaluation of that pregnancy, so if you have a first early pregnancy loss, typically women are asked to wait a period of time and then try again. It's not until women experience multiple pregnancy losses that they tend to go for evaluation."
The study is unique because women with one previous miscarriage typically have few options for treatment, due to limited knowledge on the underlying causes.
"This is a group that typically have very little recourse available to them, other than to wait and then try again, so we're assessing whether this low-dose aspirin will be able to improve their likelihood of getting pregnant, but also maintaining that pregnancy through the point of a live birth," she said.
A miscarriage is defined as the failure of a pregnancy before 20 weeks, also called spontaneous abortion. It can occur for various reasons, according to Professor Wactawski-Wende, such as genetic problems in the fetus resulting in improper development, problems with implantation, or problems with placental growth. Another cause is disorders in the mother, such as Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome. However, she noted that, generally, the causes for miscarriage are unknown.
In the United States, statistics reveal that of couples trying to become pregnant, 10-15 percent are unable to conceive, while 15-31 percent of pregnancies result in miscarriage, and of the pregnancies lasting longer than 20 weeks, 8-15 percent end in premature birth, which results in later health problems for the infants.
The study will be launched in late spring. Women who want more information can call the UB Women's Health Research Center at (716) 829-3128. The Center is located at 65 Farber Hall on the UB South Campus.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
