Low-dose aspirin and calcium supplementation for the prevention of pre-eclampsia

Key content
Pre-eclampsia is a serious systemic condition, which affects 3–5% of all pregnancies and accounts for a significant number of maternal deaths annually.
Administration of anti-platelet agents to women at risk of pre-eclampsia leads to a 17% reduction in the risk of developing this condition.
Calcium supplementation during pregnancy may also be an effective measure to reduce the incidence of pre-eclampsia within high-risk populations.
Learning objectives
To understand the first trimester ultrasound and biochemical based screening tests available for the prediction of pre-eclampsia.
To explore the evidence in terms of safety and efficacy of low-dose aspirin and calcium use in pregnancy in the prevention of pre-eclampsia.
Ethical issues
Provision of low-dose aspirin and calcium supplements to pregnant women at risk has the potential to significantly reduce maternal mortality and morbidity in addition to rates of perinatal mortality, not only in the developed world, but also in the developing world.