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JACI Highlights - May 2008
Asthma exacerbations during the first trimester of pregnancy and the risk of congenital malformations among asthmatic women
Lucie Blais, PhD, Amélie Forget, MSc
Asthma is a chronic disease that affects up to 12% of women during pregnancy. Uncontrolled maternal asthma during pregnancy has been thought by some to be a cause of birth defects, though there are few published studies on this topic. In a study recently presented in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Blais et al analyzed health care and pharmacy records of 4344 pregnancies in asthmatic women and the children born of them to learn whether asthma flare-ups during the first trimester of pregnancy increased the chances that the infant would be born with a congenital malformation. They found that for women who had an asthma flare-up during the first trimester of their pregnancies, there was a 48% greater risk of having a child born with a birth defect. The first trimester of pregnancy is recognized as the most critical period for congenital malformations and uncontrolled asthma that impairs the mother's breathing could result in a decrease in the oxygen critical to a fetus' healthy formation. These findings emphasize the necessity to keep asthma under control during pregnancy and the importance of continued controller therapy for pregnant asthmatic women to reduce this risk. Recent research reassures about the safety of inhaled corticosteroids during pregnancy and health professionals should encourage pregnant asthmatic women to continue their recommended doses once they know they are pregnant.
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