Spirometry is related to perinatal outcomes in pregnant women with asthma.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that maternal asthma symptoms and pulmonary function are related to adverse perinatal outcomes.


METHODS
Asthmatic patients were recruited from the 16 centers of the Maternal Fetal Medicine Units. Forced expiratory volume in 1 second was obtained at enrollment and at monthly study visits, and the frequency of asthma symptoms was assessed from enrollment to delivery. Perinatal data were obtained at postpartum chart reviews.


RESULTS
The final cohort included 2123 participants with asthma. After adjustment for demographic characteristics, smoking, acute asthmatic episodes, and oral corticosteroid use, significant relationships were demonstrated between gestational hypertension and preterm birth and lower maternal gestational forced expiratory volume in 1 second. The data did not show any significant independent relationship between asthma symptom frequency and perinatal outcomes.


CONCLUSIONS
Lower pulmonary function during pregnancy is associated with increased gestational hypertension and prematurity in the pregnancies of women with asthma, which may be due to inadequate asthma control or factors that are associated with increased asthma severity.
Schatz
Michael
M
Department of Allergy, Kaiser Permanente, San Diego, CA, USA. michael.x.schatz@kp.org
Dombrowski
Mitchell P
MP
Wise
Robert
R
Momirova
Valerija
V
Landon
Mark
M
Mabie
William
W
Newman
Roger B
RB
Rouse
Dwight J
DJ
Lindheimer
Marshall
M
Miodovnik
Menachem
M
Caritis
Steve N
SN
Leveno
Kenneth J
KJ
Meis
Paul
P
Wapner
Ronald J
RJ
Paul
Richard H
RH
O'Sullivan
Mary Jo
MJ
Varner
Michael W
MW
Thurnau
Gary R
GR
Conway
Deborah L
DL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D046110:Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D015994:Incidence; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000453:epidemiology; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013147:Spirometry