- With Mayo Clinic obstetrician and medical editor-in-chief
Roger W. Harms, M.D.
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Roger W. Harms, M.D.
Roger W. Harms, M.D.
"Nothing helps people stay healthy more than the power of real knowledge about health." — Dr. Roger Harms
As medical editor-in-chief, Dr. Roger Harms is excited about the potential for MayoClinic.com to help educate people about their health and provide them the tools and information to live healthier lives.
The Auburn, Neb., native has been with Mayo Clinic since 1981 and is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology. Dr. Harms is a consultant and associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, and his specialty areas include office gynecology, high-risk obstetrics and obstetrical ultrasound.
From 2002 to 2007, Dr. Harms was director for education for Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dr. Harms was the 1988 Mayo Medical School Teacher of the Year and served as associate dean for student affairs and academic affairs before taking this leadership role. He is the co-author of the "Mayo Clinic Model of Education." In 2008, Dr. Harms was presented the Distinguished Educator Award, Mayo Clinic, Rochester.
Dr. Harms is vice chair of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and medical editor of the Pregnancy section on this Web site. In addition, Dr. Harms is editor-in-chief of the "Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy" book, a month-by-month guide to everything a woman needs to know about having a baby.
"My medical education experience has grown out of a love of teaching, and that is what this site is about," Dr. Harms says. "If any visitor to this site makes a more informed and thus more comfortable decision about his or her health because of the information we provide, we are successful."
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Question
Aspirin during pregnancy: Is it safe?
Is it safe to take aspirin during pregnancy?
Answer
from Roger W. Harms, M.D.
In a few cases, low-dose aspirin therapy is prescribed during pregnancy to help prevent recurrent miscarriage or to treat other conditions. Generally, however, aspirin isn't recommended as a pain reliever during pregnancy.
Before birth, a baby receives oxygen through blood from the placenta. At birth, however, that situation changes suddenly and dramatically. When the baby is born, a natural drop in prostaglandin levels in some of the baby's blood vessels drives the baby's circulatory system to reroute blood flow to the lungs.
So what's the concern with aspirin during pregnancy? Prostaglandins are hormone-like substances. Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), block the production of prostaglandins. If you take aspirin during pregnancy — especially after 32 weeks — there's a risk that the baby's blood flow could be rerouted in the uterus. This could cause potentially fatal problems for the baby.
If you need to take a pain reliever during pregnancy, ask your doctor about the options. He or she may approve occasional use of acetaminophen (Tylenol, others).
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