title: Indications for allergen immunotherapy during pregnancy.
abstract: Allergen immunotherapy has been proven to be an efficacious and valuable tool in the treatment of the allergic patient with perennial rhinitis who is intolerant of medications or has moderate to severe asthma. It may also be useful for the allergic pregnant patient to reduce the severity of asthma or rhinitis, and possibly to prevent the complications of severe asthma. It may reduce the use of other medications that are undesirable during pregnancy. Allergen immunotherapy has been shown to be safe for both the mother and fetus during pregnancy. It does not need to be stopped during pregnancy, but the maintenance dose should be modified. Immunotherapy plays an important role in the treatment of severe allergic disease by virtue of its capacity to reduce airway hyperresponsiveness and late-phase airway responses that lead to inflammation and chronic symptoms.
authors.affiliation: East Carolina University, Department of Medicine, Greenville 27858-4354.
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Metzger
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000628:therapy*; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000628:therapy*; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy