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Treatment with a low dosage of aspirin each day may be an effective method for preventing or reducing the severity of preeclampsia in pregnant women. Preeclampsia is the development of hypertension during pregnancy with increased levels of protein in the urine and fluid collection. Among 604 pregnant women under 28 years old in the 24th week of pregnancy, 302 took 60 milligrams of aspirin per day and 302 took a placebo, or an inactive substance, until the time of delivery. Five women (2%) treated with aspirin developed preeclampsia, compared with 17 women (6%) who took a placebo. Only one women in the aspirin group developed severe preeclampsia, compared with six women in the placebo group. Preeclampsia and other pregnancy-associated hypertensive disorders cause a significant number of fetal, newborn and maternal deaths.