Asthma & Pregnancy: Risks & Outcomes
- A recent Canadian study highlights the potential dangers of maternal asthma, a chronic respiratory disease, on pregnancy outcomes.
- The retrospective study, encompassing 434,068 singleton pregnancies in Alberta from October 2009 to December 2018, found that 8.6% of the women had asthma at some point in their...
- The findings emphasize the importance of early diagnosis and management of maternal asthma.
Maternal asthma poses meaningful risks during pregnancy, potentially increasing teh chance of preterm birth by 15% and raising the odds of low birth weight and cesarean delivery, according to a new study. This research underscores the importance of proactive asthma management in expectant mothers. The study, analyzing nearly half a million pregnancies, revealed that active asthma during pregnancy carries the highest risk for adverse outcomes. Urban residence and a lack of prenatal education further complicate the situation. Discover how different asthma medications influence pregnancy outcomes. The team at News Directory 3 understands these crucial details. Learn how this impacts the future.
Maternal Asthma Linked to Increased risks in Pregnancy
Updated June 6, 2025
A recent Canadian study highlights the potential dangers of maternal asthma, a chronic respiratory disease, on pregnancy outcomes. The research, focusing on perinatal outcomes, reveals a meaningful association between asthma in pregnant women and increased risks of preterm birth, low birth weight, and cesarean delivery.
The retrospective study, encompassing 434,068 singleton pregnancies in Alberta from October 2009 to December 2018, found that 8.6% of the women had asthma at some point in their lives.This included women with a history of asthma (52%), current asthma (40%), or active disease (7%).
The findings emphasize the importance of early diagnosis and management of maternal asthma. the study indicated a 15% increased risk of preterm birth, a 12% increased risk of low birth weight, and a 9% increased risk of cesarean delivery among women with asthma. Women with active asthma faced the highest risks.
Researchers also examined asthma phenotypes based on inflammatory cell types, classifying them as low or high blood eosinophils (LBE, HBE) and low or high blood neutrophils (LBN, HBN).The HBE/HBN phenotype group exhibited the greatest risk for adverse outcomes.
Medication use among asthmatic mothers varied considerably. Notably, 66% of women with a history of asthma, 19% with current asthma, and 36% with active disease were not taking medication.
Common asthma medications include oral corticosteroids (OCS), inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), long-acting β2 adrenergic receptor agonists (LABA), and short-acting β2 adrenergic receptor agonists (SABA). Prednisone and budesonide are frequently prescribed.
Women with a history of asthma who were prescribed OCS plus an ICS with a LABA or SABA had a 31% increased risk of preterm birth. Those prescribed only OCS had a 37% increased risk. The risk was even higher in women with active asthma.
Patients with a history of asthma on OCS alone had a 40% increased risk of low birth weight. Patients with current asthma prescribed OCS plus an ICS with a LABA or SABA showed a 37% risk increase, while those with active asthma had a two-fold increased risk.
The study also revealed that asthmatic patients living in urban areas and those without prenatal education faced significantly increased risks of preterm birth, low birth weight, and cesarean delivery.
What’s next
The study authors suggest that increased monitoring and a review of current treatments are necessary to mitigate the increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes associated with maternal asthma. updated maternal asthma treatment guidelines might potentially be warranted.