Now Viagra can fight danger of premature births
April 18, 2007

The impotence drug Viagra is being used in a clinical trial to reduce premature births by helping babies stay longer in the womb.

Mums-to-be whose babies have growth-restriction problems - a condition affecting one in 12 births in the UK - are being given the drug in a new trial.

The aim is to increase blood supply to the womb and placenta so that more nutrients and oxygen reach the foetus. This helps it to continue growing in the womb, avoiding the health problems that result from premature birth.

"If it works, it will be exciting and beneficial for babies affected by growth restriction for which we currently have no good treatments," says Dr Jenny Myers, obstetrician and clinical lecturer at St Mary's Hospital, which is linked to the University of Manchester.

Foetal growth restriction is the medical term for a baby inside the womb being smaller than expected for the number of weeks of pregnancy.

This may be caused by the mother having high blood pressure, advanced diabetes or heart disease. Smoking and alcohol intake are also factors.

Viagra - commonly used to treat erectile dysfunction in men - works by increasing blood flow, now can be used for fighting premature births.

Laboratory research in Manchester showed that when the drug was added to tissue samples taken from pregnant women with foetal growth problems, it relaxed the blood vessels, allowing more blood flow.

In the clinical trial in Haifa, Israel, 20 women are being given Viagra to see if it has a similar effect. Each woman will get a 25mg tablet and will be monitored for the following 24 hours.

If no significant side effects are recorded, the treatment will be repeated 48 hours later with a 50mg dose.

Dr Myers said that even a few weeks longer in the womb would make a huge difference to the health of the baby. "The biggest problem with foetal growth restriction is that it can result in premature babies.

"With Viagra, we may be able to prolong the pregnancy and allow the baby to mature in the womb, rather than having to deliver very prematurely.

"If we can get another three or four weeks out of that pregnancy, the baby has a much better outcome when it is born.

"There is a massive difference between being born at 25 weeks and at 30 weeks."
Viagra, and drugs like it, are involved in an increasing number of trials for new uses. The most common side-effects of Viagra in men are headaches, flushes and stomach upsets.
Less commonly, blurred vision or sensitivity to light may occur briefly.

In rare instances, men taking oral erectile dysfunction medicines, including Viagra, have reported a sudden decrease or loss of vision.

Maker Pfizer says it is unknown whether these events are related directly to the drugs or to other factors.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk