Using Aspirin After IVF Transfer
Many people are taking baby aspirin after transfer in IVF. My reproductive endocrinologist told me it wasn't necessary. He said it was primarily for women who had a history of miscarriage. Would it harm me to take it anyway?Question:
Antiphopholipid antibody syndrome as a cause of recurrent pregnancy loss
It has been discovered that one cause of recurrent pregnancy loss is the antiphospholipid syndrome. This syndrome has a number of clinical and laboratory criterion to confirm the diagnosis. Treatments for this syndrome include heparin, steroid, and aspirin therapies.
Autoantibodies and Infertility
Some investigators have hypothesized that immune dysfunctions similar to the antiphospholipid antibody syndrome may affect very early pregnancies and could potentially explain some causes of infertility. They hypothesize (educated guess) that autoantibodies or associated unrecognized antibodies may be directed against eggs, sperm, sperm, or other components critical to fertilization or early pregnancy. There is circumstantial evidence that autoimmune disorders may play some role in infertility, however, completely convincing evidence is lacking. Potential complications associated with high dose aspirin use in pregnancy include decreased viability and implantation and increased resorption and malformations in animal studies of early pregnancies.
Recommendations regarding aspirin use in IVF
In some IVF programs research protocols have been established to help determine whether aspirin helps achieve a higher pregnancy rate. The best research protocols utilize double blind randomized trials wherein neither the patient or doctor know who receives aspirin or a placebo. Your reproductive endocrinologist can advise you in your specific case and whether there are any investigational protocols which use aspirin in your IVF program which may potentially be of benefit.Answer: