Program
Nurse-Midwifery M.S.
Number of Pages
39
Year Approved
2026
First Advisor
Taneesha Douglas
Second Reader
Rebecca D'Addosio Smith
Abstract
Introduction: Preeclampsia remains the leading cause of maternal and neonatal mortality worldwide despite extensive and ongoing research on the subject. The use of aspirin therapy to reduce preeclampsia in pregnancy is widely researched and accepted into practice, however, optimal dosing is still debated. The purpose of this review is to identify which dosage of aspirin therapy offers the most effective reduction in preeclampsia without increasing the risk of postpartum hemorrhage.
Methods: The following databases were searched using the framework methodology by Whittemore and Knafl: CINAHL, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, ProQuest, and Citations. The search criteria limited articles to five years old or less and available in English. The exception was three major studies within 10 years old. Seventy-two articles were initially reviewed in full. Nineteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were used in this review.
Results: This integrative review included 18,740 pregnant people and found that aspirin therapy was helpful in preventing preeclampsia in both term and preterm populations with doses between 150 mg – 162 mg being more effective at preventing preeclampsia compared to doses between 75 mg – 100 mg (8.8% preeclampsia rate verses 14.6%, respectively). This review further showed that of the 21,103 postpartum patients evaluated for hemorrhage, there was no increased rate of bleeding associated with the higher doses of aspirin (150 mg – 162 mg) compared to doses less than 100 mg.
Discussion: Current guidelines in the United States recommend 81 mg of aspirin therapy for the prevention of preeclampsia in pregnancy. This review demonstrates improved outcomes with use of the 162 mg aspirin dose, especially in those at high risk for preeclampsia. Furthermore, there was no significant risk of postpartum hemorrhage seen with the 162 mg dose. Research on this question is ongoing, and it is likely that future recommendations will change based on that research. Providers need to be diligently monitoring for changes in practice recommendations to continue providing high quality care.
Degree Name
M.S. Nurse-Midwifery
Document Type
Masterʼs thesis
Recommended Citation
Haraway, M. S. (2026). Dosage Considerations for Aspirin Therapy to Prevent Preeclampsia in Pregnancy [Masterʼs thesis, Bethel University]. Spark Repository. https://spark.bethel.edu/etd/1250
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