Pharmacotherapy options to treat asthma during pregnancy

Abstract

Introduction: 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.

Areas covered: 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.

Expert opinion: 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.

Keywords:

• asthma
• β-agonists
• bronchodilators
• inhaled corticosteroids
• leukotriene modifiers
• oral corticosteroid
• pregnancy
• treatment

Declaration of interest

M Schatz has received research support from GlaxoSmithKline, Medimmune and Merck, he also acts as a consultant for Amgen, Boston Scientific and GlaxoSmithKline. JA Namazy is an advisor for Genetech. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Notes

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