The illness is more common in first pregnancies, but taking aspirin could save thousands of pregnant women from developing pre-eclampsia.

The illness is more common in first pregnancies and as many as one in 20 first-time mothers develops pre-eclampsia, while around 20 women die each year from conditions linked to high blood pressure. It is thought that it claims the lives of as many as 600 babies every year but taking aspirin could save thousands of pregnant women from developing the condition.

The only treatment for pre-eclampsia is to deliver the baby prematurely by emergency Caesarean.