Low-dose aspirin in pregnancy: changes in patterns of prescription in The Netherlands.

Objective: To describe patterns of prescription in the Netherlands of low-dose aspirin in pregnancy.

Design: Anonymous written inquiry in 1989 and 1991.

Subjects: Gynecologists in the Netherlands (619 in 1989 and 618 in 1991), practicing in training and non-training hospitals.

Main Outcome Measures: Prescription rates for prevention of pregnancy-induced hypertension and fetal growth retardation, or for intention to treat.

Results: The response rates were 52% in 1989 and 58% in 1991, covering approximately 61% and 62%, respectively, of the practicing gynecologists in the Netherlands. The use for prevention increased from 53% to 79% and for therapeutic intentions from 25% to 48%.

Conclusion: The prescription rate for low-dose aspirin increased markedly from 1989 to 1991, without evidence for its benefit from the literature published in the same time period.