- With Mayo Clinic obstetrician and medical editor-in-chief
Roger W. Harms, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
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 director of content, Dr. Roger Harms is excited about the potential for Mayo Clinic's health information site 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 practicing physician 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 at 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. 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 website. 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."
Healthy pregnancy (19)
- Flu shot in pregnancy: Is it safe?
- Leg cramps during pregnancy: Preventable?
- Vaccines during pregnancy: Are they safe?
- see all in Healthy pregnancy
First trimester (3)
- Nausea during pregnancy: A good thing?
- Implantation bleeding: Normal in early pregnancy?
- Birth control pills: Harmful in early pregnancy?
Second trimester (1)
- Fundal height: An accurate sign of fetal growth?
Third trimester (1)
- Hypnobirthing: How does it work?
Pregnancy problems (9)
- Chickenpox and pregnancy: What are the concerns?
- Pregorexia: A legitimate problem during pregnancy?
- Cervical length: Why does it matter during pregnancy?
- see all in Pregnancy problems
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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.
Generally, aspirin and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) aren't recommended as pain relievers during pregnancy.
Aspirin interferes with your blood's clotting action. As a result, taking aspirin during pregnancy — especially after 32 weeks — can contribute to maternal and fetal bleeding. Aspirin and ibuprofen can also cause the premature closure of a vessel in a baby's heart, which can lead to high blood pressure in the baby's lungs (pulmonary hypertension), and prolong labor.
However, low-dose aspirin therapy is sometimes prescribed during pregnancy to help treat medical conditions. If you need to take aspirin during your third trimester of pregnancy, your health care provider will likely closely monitor you and your baby.
If you need to take a pain reliever during pregnancy, ask your health care provider about the options. He or she might approve occasional use of acetaminophen (Tylenol, others).
Next questionHeadaches during pregnancy: What's the best treatment?
- Tulandi T, et al. Management of couples with recurrent pregnancy loss. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Aug. 17, 2012.
- Risser A, et al. NSAID prescribing precautions. American Family Physician. 2009;80:1371.
- James AH, et al. Aspirin and reproductive outcomes. Obstetrical and Gynecological Survey. 2008;63:49.
- Briggs GG, et al. Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation: A Reference Guide to Fetal and Neonatal Risk. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Wolters Kluwer Health Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2011.
- Lee MJ, et al. Headache in pregnancy. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Aug. 17, 2012.
- Acetaminophen and pregnancy. Organization of Teratology Information Specialists. http://www.otispregnancy.org/files/acetaminophen.pdf. Accessed Aug. 17, 2012.
- Ibuprofen and pregnancy. Organization of Teratology Information Specialists. http://www.otispregnancy.org/files/ibuprofen.pdf. Accessed Aug. 17, 2012.
- Gibbs RS, et al. Danforth's Obstetrics and Gynecology. 10th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Wolters Kluwer Health Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008. http://www.danforthsobgyn.com. Accessed Aug. 17, 2012.
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