Safety of therapeutic options for treating asthma in pregnancy.
BACKGROUND
Pregnancy may be complicated by new onset or preexisting asthma. Asthma is one of the most common potentially serious medical problems to complicate pregnancy, and it may adversely affect both maternal quality of life and perinatal outcomes. Optimal management of asthma during pregnancy is thus important for both mother and baby.


METHODS
This article reviews the recognition and management of asthma during pregnancy, paying close attention to the general principles of asthma medication use during pregnancy. Further, the article reviews the safety of asthma medications commonly used during pregnancy. In this article, the most pertinent recent publications are reported. Electronic databases, such as PUBMED, were searched for terms pregnan* or perinat* or obstet* and asthma or wheeze and treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Because pregnant women are generally excluded from clinical trials, there is a lack of adequate safety information for most medications taken during pregnancy. One of the most important requirements for the future is the availability of further safety information for asthma medications used during pregnancy that can also account for asthma control.
Division of Allergy and Immunology, Scripps Clinic , 7565 Mission Valley Road, San Diego, CA 92108 , USA +1 619 245 2922 ; namazy.jennifer@scrippshealth.org.
Jennifer A
JA
Namazy
Christina
C
Chambers
Michael
M
Schatz
D000818:Animals; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy
D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents
asthma; bronchodilators; inhaled corticosteroids; leukotriene modifiers; oral corticosteroids; pregnancy; treatment