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Asthma in pregnancy: a review
Warwick Giles1, Vanessa Murphy2
1Director Maternal Fetal Medicine, Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit, Division of Women's Children's and Family Health, Royal North Shore Hospital, Northern Clinical School, University of Sydney, St Leonards NSW 2065, Australia.
Asthma in pregnant women poses risks to both mother and fetus, yet optimal treatment is often reduced due to safety concerns. Increased clinician awareness of asthma complications during pregnancy is crucial for effective management.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Medicine
- Pulmonology
- Obstetrics
Background:
- Asthma is highly prevalent in women of childbearing age.
- Asthma during pregnancy is not a benign condition, impacting maternal and fetal health.
- Current management faces challenges due to perceived risks of asthma treatments to the fetus.
Approach:
- Reviewing existing data on asthma management in pregnant women.
- Highlighting the gap in clinician awareness regarding asthma complications in pregnancy.
- Addressing the tendency to undertreat asthma during gestation.
Key Points:
- Pregnant women with asthma face increased risks for adverse maternal and fetal outcomes.
- Fear of teratogenicity leads to suboptimal asthma treatment in a significant number of cases.
- Inadequate awareness among healthcare providers about the risks of uncontrolled asthma in pregnancy exists.
Conclusions:
- Effective asthma management during pregnancy is essential for improving maternal and fetal outcomes.
- Education and awareness initiatives are needed to address clinician and patient misconceptions about asthma medication safety.
- Further research and updated guidelines are necessary to optimize asthma care for pregnant women.
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