title: Pharmacotherapy options to treat asthma during pregnancy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pregnancy may be complicated by new onset or pre-existing asthma. This article reviews the recognition and management of asthma during pregnancy, paying close attention to the general principles of asthma medication use during pregnancy. Asthma is one of the most common potentially serious medical problems to complicate pregnancy, and asthma may adversely affect both maternal quality of life and perinatal outcomes. Therefore, optimal management of asthma during pregnancy is important for both mother and baby. This article reviews asthma pharmacotherapy during pregnancy, with an emphasis on gestational safety of commonly used medications.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this review of asthma pharmacotherapy during pregnancy, 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
  Although retrospective data have been reassuring, since 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 needs for the future is the availability of further safety information for asthma medications used during pregnancy that can also account for asthma control.
authors.affiliation: Scripps Clinic , 7565 Mission Valley Road, San Diego, CA 92108 , USA +1 619 245 9000 ; +1 619 245 2922 ; janamazy@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Namazy
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schatz
mesh_terms: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D019468:Disease Management; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents
keywords: asthma; bronchodilators; inhaled corticosteroids; leukotriene modifiers; oral corticosteroid; pregnancy; treatment; β-agonists