Pregnant mother Raisa Bari was more than 30 weeks along when she went in for a routine doctor's visit. When the doctor detected her blood pressure was extremely high, he sent her straight to the hospital. The condition was pre-eclampsia, which is life-threatening to both mother and child. Bari was put on monitored bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy.
"I had no idea what it was, let alone I didn't know what was happening to me or why my blood pressure was so high," Bari told CBS.
However, doctors have recently discovered that one household item, common in just about every medicine cabinet, can play a pivotal role in reducing a mother's risk of pre-eclampsia. New research shows that taking a low dose of aspirin can prevent the condition. The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recommends 81mg per day starting at around 12 weeks into the pregnancy.
This treatment can reduce the risk by nearly 25 percent.
"Pre-eclampsia can cause serious health problems for both expectant mothers and their babies," said Task Force member Dr. Jessica Herzstein. "The good news is that pregnant women who are at high risk for developing pre-eclampsia can take a low dosage of aspirin daily to help to prevent the condition. This can result in better health outcomes for both the mother and the baby."
Fortunately, the bed rest was an effective treatment for Bari who gave birth to a happy, healthy baby. Bari had no way of knowing aspirin would have helped since the findings were new.
The new mother plans on taking the low dose of aspirin when she decides to have another baby.
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