Journal of Rawalpindi Medical College
Role of Low Dose Aspirin in Prevention of Pre-Term Delivery: A Quasi-Experimental Study
By Tehmina Shahzadi, Saadia Sultana, Muhammad Nadim Akbar Khan and 3 others.
Abstract
Objective
To assess the role of low-dose aspirin (75 mg) in preventing spontaneous preterm birth among high-risk pregnant women in Pakistan.
Methods
This quasi-experimental study was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Railway General Hospital, Rawalpindi, from August 2023 to August 2024. This study received formal ethical approval from the institutional review committee of Islamic International Medical College Rawalpindi, approval number IRC/23/3087. The study was conducted in strict adherence to the institutionally approved protocol and the ethical standards of the Declaration of Helsinki. A total of 250 pregnant women with a previous history of preterm birth were recruited at 12-15 weeks of gestation through consecutive sampling. Participants were allocated to two parallel groups based on the clinical intervention schedule. Group A received aspirin 75mg daily with folic acid and standard preventive therapies, while Group B received folic acid and routine preventive measures only. Outcomes included incidence of preterm delivery before 34 weeks and neonatal birth weight. Data were analysed using SPSS version 26. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. The baseline demographic and clinical characteristics of both groups were compared to ensure comparability. The normality of all continuous variables, including maternal age and birth weight, was verified using the Shapiro-Wilk test and visual inspection of Q-Q plots. Data following a normal distribution were summarised as mean(SD). Intergroup comparisons for categorical outcomes were performed using the chi-square test.