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Updated: May 13, 2026

Bronchial Thermoplasty: A Novel Therapeutic Approach to Severe Asthma
Published on: November 4, 2010
Asthma drugs and the risk of congenital anomalies
Catherine Vasilakis-Scaramozza1, Ann Aschengrau, Howard J Cabral
1Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
Study Objective:
To estimate the prevalence of congenital anomalies between the offspring of women exposed and unexposed to asthma drugs during early pregnancy.
Design:
Matched cohort study.
Database:
The United Kingdom's General Practice Research Database.
Patients:
Women exposed to asthma drugs during early pregnancy and a sample of matched unexposed pregnant women.
Measurements And Main Results:
The prevalence of any anomaly among unexposed and exposed women was 27.8 (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.4-30.6)/1000 pregnancies and 31.3 (95% CI 27.7-35.5)/1000 pregnancies, respectively (relative risk [RR] 1.1 95% CI 1.0-1.3).
Conclusion:
Our findings suggest that asthma drugs, overall, do not increase the risk of congenital anomalies in the offspring when taken during the first trimester of pregnancy.
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