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Maternal Asthma, Preterm Birth, and Risk of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

Susan Gage1, Peiyi Kan1, Henry C Lee2

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|August 10, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Maternal asthma increases preterm birth risk. However, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) risk in preterm infants is only elevated if mothers with asthma do not receive antenatal steroids.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Health
  • Perinatal Medicine
  • Respiratory Medicine

Background:

  • Maternal asthma is a common comorbidity during pregnancy.
  • Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a significant complication in preterm infants.
  • The impact of maternal asthma on BPD development requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between maternal asthma and the risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants.
  • To investigate if maternal asthma influences preterm birth subtypes.
  • To determine the role of antenatal steroid treatment in mitigating BPD risk in infants of mothers with asthma.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a large California population-based cohort (2007-2010) of over 2 million pregnancies.
  • Analyzed maternal delivery discharge records and International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes.
  • Linked datasets to identify 21,944 singleton preterm infants and their mothers' asthma status.

Main Results:

  • Maternal asthma was linked to a 42% increased odds of preterm birth (<37 weeks gestational age).
  • No overall elevated risk of BPD was observed in preterm infants born to mothers with asthma.
  • Infants of mothers with asthma who did not receive antenatal steroids had a 54% increased odds of BPD.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal asthma is associated with an increased risk of preterm birth.
  • Antenatal steroid treatment appears to negate the increased BPD risk in infants born to mothers with asthma.
  • Targeted antenatal interventions may be crucial for managing BPD risk in this population.
Abstract

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