Despite the increased risks of complications to mother and baby as a result of maternal asthma, only about half of women who have daily asthma symptoms during pregnancy use an asthma controller therapy. In addition, only about half of women who normally use an asthma controller medicine continue these medications when they become pregnant. Therefore, the complications from untreated asthma in pregnant women would seem to be a common problem.
A recent study showed pre-term delivery occurred about twice as often in pregnant women with uncontrolled asthma as compared to those whose asthma was controlled (11.4% compared to 6.3%). Pregnant women who were hospitalized for their asthma were more than twice as likely to have pre-term delivery as those who weren’t hospitalized because of their asthma (16.4% compared to 7.6%).
While all pregnant asthmatics are concerned about the safety of asthma medications on the fetus, the small risks that most asthma medications present to the fetus are far outweighed by the risks of untreated asthma (both to the mother and baby).
Learn more about the treatment of asthma during pregnancy.
Source:
Bakhireva LN, et al. Asthma Control During Pregnancy and the Risk of Preterm Delivery or Impaired Fetal Growth. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2008;101:137-43.
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