What is Low Dose Aspirin?
Low dose aspirin is just as it sounds. It is the drug aspirin or salicylic acid in a much lower dose than the adult aspirin tablet. Adult aspirin usually contains 325 mg of salicylic acid per tablet. Different brands of low dose aspirin contain 81-100 mg of salicylic acid. The 81 mg dose is the most common. This is the same dose that was used as baby aspirin for many years. Unfortunately children and infants are at risk for developing Reye’s syndrome if they take aspirin while they have certain types of illnesses. Though baby aspirin may still be sold and can be a substitute for low dose aspirin, it is usually not recommended for children. Baby and children forms of the drug are also chewable, which may not be perfect for adults who would prefer to swallow a pill.
