Neonatal periventricular leukomalacia due to severe, poorly controlled asthma in the mother

We report a neonatal case of cystic periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) in which the hypoxia was considered to have been caused by severe asthma in the mother, who had not taken any medication during pregnancy because she was anxious about its possible effects on her unborn child.

After the mother had severe exacerbation of asthma for five days, the baby was born at 36 weeks in gestation, weighing 2100 g, and with moderate asphyxia. Although the baby had been aggressively treated in a neonatal intensive care unit, at birth, an ischemic area had been formed in the periventricular areas in the brain echogram. We suspected that she had severe brain damage due to prenatal hypoxia.

The baby was found to have cystic PVL by ultrasonography at age 15 days, and diplegia at age 4 months.

The poorly controlled, persistent and severe asthma of the mother may have caused prenatal hypoxia, resulting in the cystic PVL and lower limb palsy. Pregnant patients with poorly controlled asthma should be advised of the great risk of this condition to the fetus. Also, patients should be assured of the safety of modern asthma treatments.