Pregnancy and pre-eclampsia: is aspirin the answer for everyone?

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A new study has ignited the debate over whether every pregnant woman should take low-dose aspirin.

For years, it has been recommended for women at high risk of pre-eclampsia. This dangerous condition can cause high blood pressure and organ damage. The argument for giving it to all pregnant women is straightforward: current screening isn’t perfect, and pre-eclampsia can be hard to predict.

Aspirin is cheap, widely available and generally safe, which makes it tempting to give it to everyone.