Maternal asthma: pregnancy course and outcome

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Perinatal Medicine
• Respiratory Medicine

Background:

• Maternal asthma is a common comorbidity during pregnancy.
• Understanding its impact on perinatal outcomes is crucial for clinical management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the association between maternal asthma and various perinatal outcomes.
• To identify specific risks associated with asthma in pregnancy.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective population-based cohort study (1991-2014).
• Included over 243,000 deliveries, excluding multiple gestations and congenital malformations.
• Used multivariable generalized estimating equations to control for confounders.

Main Results:

• Maternal asthma (1.35% of deliveries) was linked to hypertensive disorders, preterm delivery, and cesarean delivery.
• No significant differences in neonatal outcomes (perinatal mortality, low Apgar scores) were observed.
• Asthma independently predicted preterm delivery (aOR=1.21), hypertensive disorders (aOR=1.35), and cesarean delivery (aOR=1.27).

Conclusions:

• Maternal asthma is an independent risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes.
• The association persists after controlling for confounding variables.
• Despite increased risks for certain complications, overall perinatal outcomes are generally favorable.