Viagra could lessen the risk of low birth weight

A new clinical trial is taking place in New Zealand that hopes to discover whether sildenafil citrate can be used as a treatment to help babies grow to a healthier size when they are having problems developing in the womb. Sildenafil citrate is the main ingredient in Viagra and could be given to pregnant women whose children are at risk of being born underweight.

The STRIDER trial taking place in New Zealand will be the first of a collaborative international trial into the use of the drug for the treatment of babies suffering from severe intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) in the womb. The eligible women who are carrying babies suffering from the disorder will be given either sildenafil or a placebo to measure whether it has any effect on the rate of the child's growth.

Most people know sildenafil as a treatment to increase the blood supply to the male penis. The idea that it could have a similar effect on women was first theorised by Professor Phil Baker, director of Gravida: National Centre for Growth and Development, 15 years ago. Professor Baker began testing to see whether the drug could increase the flow of blood to the womb and so help in the development of a foetus.

Research by Professor Baker and other researchers around the world has suggested that sildenafil could help to improve the growth rates of babies whilst in the womb, allowing them to be born at a healthier size. Getting the babies to a healthier size whilst still in the womb can increase the child's chance of survival and can reduce the risk of developmental problems and illnesses often linked to a low birth weight.

Doctor Katie Groom, from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Auckland and also a Gravida Investigator, said: "There is currently no treatment for growth restriction other than early delivery once a baby is in danger. Being born extremely prematurely and tiny, while currently the only option to save the baby’s life, does have both short- and long-term health consequences and obstetricians face a daily battle to try to manage the risks.

"If we can determine a therapy that enhances foetal growth, and we can therefore delay delivery, we will improve not only these babies’ survival rates but also reduce the many complications that follow and can lead to life-long disability or disease."