Pregnancy / Aspirin and Other NSAIDs Put Newborns at Risk

Women who take over-the-counter pain medications that contain aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen when pregnant may be putting their unborn babies at risk for developing a potentially life-threatening condition.

These drugs, known collectively as NSAIDs, are believed to reduce or inhibit substances critical to maintaining and regulating pressures in the lungs and can cause persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN).

Babies who suffer from PPHN are more likely to have a range of problems after birth and often must be placed on a respirator to help them breathe.

Several previous studies have also shown a link between NSAIDs taken during pregnancy and the development of PPHN in newborns.

Researchers in this study conclude that pregnant women should be made better aware of the dangers associated with taking over-the-counter drugs containing NSAIDs.

Pediatrics Vol. 107 No. 3 March 2001, pp. 519-523