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Updated: May 16, 2026

Bronchial Thermoplasty: A Novel Therapeutic Approach to Severe Asthma
Published on: November 4, 2010
Obstetric complications among US women with asthma
Pauline Mendola1, S Katherine Laughon, Tuija I Männistö
1Epidemiology Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Rockville, MD, USA.
Objective:
We sought to characterize complications of pregnancy, labor, and delivery associated with maternal asthma in a contemporary US cohort.
Study Design:
We studied a retrospective cohort based on electronic medical record data from 223,512 singleton deliveries from 12 clinical centers across the United States from 2002 through 2008.
Results:
Women with asthma had higher odds of preeclampsia (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-1.22), superimposed preeclampsia (aOR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.15-1.56), gestational diabetes (aOR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.03-1.19), placental abruption (aOR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.09-1.36), and placenta previa (aOR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.08-1.56). Asthmatic women had a higher odds of preterm birth overall (aOR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.12-1.23) and of medically indicated preterm delivery (aOR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.01-1.29). Asthmatics were less likely to have spontaneous labor (aOR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.84-0.90) and vaginal delivery (aOR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.80-0.87). Risks were higher for breech presentation (aOR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.05-1.22), hemorrhage (aOR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.03-1.16), pulmonary embolism (aOR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.05-2.79), and maternal intensive care unit admission (aOR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.04-1.72).
Conclusion:
Maternal asthma increased risk for nearly all outcomes studied in a general obstetric population.
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