Viagra may help pregnant women with rare condition
Posted February 26, 2017 10:55 am.
Last Updated February 28, 2017 4:07 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Pregnant women with a rare fetal development condition may soon be able to get help from a pill that’s usually taken by men.
The University of British Columbia has joined five other institutions from around the globe who are taking part in clinical trials of Viagra for women with early intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), a rare condition where the fetus doesn’t grow properly or on time.
Sildenafil, commonly known as Viagra, could help get vital nutrients to the baby.
“Viagra seems to have an effect on blood vessels in the uterus in terms of making them dilate so they can carry more blood flow,” UBC maternal-fetal medicine program head Dr. Kenneth Lim says. “And if that’s the case, then it can carry more nutrition, oxygen and other good things to the placenta, which then means you can supply your baby with more good stuff.”
Lack of nutrition is just one of the reasons a fetus may not be developing properly, and Lim hopes the trial will help them figure out which pregnancies are having trouble with the placenta.
Human trials were approved by Health Canada this month and have already started, but Lim’s team is still trying to recruit 95 participants from across Canada.
Although a definitive answer to the trial may still be a couple years away, Lim hopes these trials will provide a valuable first step to figuring out how to help the women and their babies.
