Aimed at women who have recently miscarried a pregnancy, researchers at the University at Buffalo and the University of Utah is commencing a clinical trial to evaluate whether aspirin can improve a woman's chances of becoming pregnant and of maintaining a healthy pregnancy to full term.

According to Jean Wactawski-Wende, Ph.D., UB associate professor of social and preventive medicine and principal investigator of the UB clinical center:

"In women who have had their first miscarriage, the reasons for losing that pregnancy are in many instances unknown. These women generally are advised to try to get pregnant again, but health-care providers can offer limited assistance on any specific actions to take to improve their next pregnancy outcome.

If aspirin can help some women become pregnant or maintain a health pregnancy, it will be a critically important finding. Aspirin is available, inexpensive and has very few side effects. We're hopeful that this trial could produce an important finding."

The trial will work on previous findings that showed beneficial effects of aspirin to humans: as an anticoagulant and an anti-inflammatory. The research team believes that aspirin could aid in the in implantation of the egg in the uterine wall, and has potential for producing a positive effect on blood flow to the placenta. Aspirin may even aid in reducing preeclampsia.

All these, the trial (The Effects of Aspirin in Gestation & Reproduction trial, or EAGeR) will seek to find out.

Recruitment will begin soon and participants must be between the ages of 18 and 40, have had one miscarriage in the year prior to entering the study, wish to become pregnant and are not already pregnant when they start the study.

Find more details from the University at Buffalo.