When blood vessels are tightly restricted, an infant’s growth in the womb can become impaired, but according to the director of the Irish Centre for Fetal and Neonatal Translational Research, Viagra has the potential to encourage growth among infants in the womb by dilating their blood vessels.
Commenting on the proposal, Professor Louise Kenny asserts that the small blue tablet can be beneficial for a number of medical conditions, but acknowledges that any treatment on pregnant women must be deemed safe for both mother and child, saying: “You have to be very careful as there are two patients involved – mother and baby. Over the last 15 or 20 years there has been an enormous amount of safety data collected on the safety of Viagra in pregnancy.”
Explaining the motivation behind the proposed use, Professor Kenny said: “Restricted growth in the womb affects about 3%-10% of babies. This results in babies that are very small being born early. This can result in significant health problems for the child later in life, such as Type 2 Diabetes.”
By implementing the treatment, researchers believe they will be breaking new ground, with Professor Kenny explaining: “If this treatment works, it will be the first of its kind, as currently there is no treatment for small babies in the womb. All doctors can do now is monitor mother and baby and see when is best to deliver, which generally means the baby will be premature.”
While the STRIDER trial, funded by the Health Research Board, will allow experts in the field to determine conclusively whether the implementation of the treatment is safe overall, Professor Kenny highlights previous cases where it had a positive impact, saying: "It has even been given on a compassionate basis to some mothers whose babies are small and it has been found to work well. “
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