[Prevention of complications of severe arterial hypertension in pregnancy using platelet antiaggregants]

Abstract

A prospective study conducted between January, 1985 and September, 1987 involved 60 pregnant women who had previously suffered from hypertension in pregnancy with or without foetal and maternal complications. Thirty women received aspirin 250 mg every other day and dipyridamole 300 mg per day, starting from the 3rd month of pregnancy (group I); 30 women were examined regularly from the onset of pregnancy and received the conventional symptomatic treatment of complications that occurred (group II). Women in these two groups were similar in age, parity and previous obstetrical complications. Twenty-five women of group I had a perfectly normal pregnancy, as against 5 women of group II (P less than 0.001). Hypertension and/or proteinuria were observed in 5 women of group I and 15 of group II (NS). The 13 severe complications recorded (foetal death, eclampsia, retroplacental haematoma) occurred exclusively in women of group II. The duration of pregnancy and weight of the newborn were significantly greater in group I than in group II. Thus, antiplatelets appear to have an uncertain preventive effect on hypertension of pregnancy and a much more obvious prophylactic effect on major foetal and maternal complications.