It’s perfectly normal for any mother to think about the health of her unborn child. As a mother with asthma, you may also worry about how asthma will affect your baby. It may ease your mind to know that women with asthma can expect a normal pregnancy, without an increased risk to themselves or their babies, as long as asthma is controlled.

Tell your obstetrician or gynecologist you have asthma, and tell your usual health care provider you’re pregnant. Asthma care should be well integrated with prenatal care, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Expand your existing partnership with your doctor to include your prenatal care provider, as soon as you think you’re pregnant.

Will your asthma management plan change?

Your doctor may review your asthma management plan. But the basic goals of treatment are the same as they were before pregnancy. The main difference in the way you manage your asthma will be increased vigilance — working more actively to avoid triggers in your environment, monitoring more carefully, paying closer attention to warning signs, and making sure you never leave home without your inhaler. As part of the review, your health care provider will probably look closely at your usual medications.

Uncontrolled asthma poses a greater risk to your baby than the side effects of certain asthma medications, according to the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (a project of the National Institutes of Health). Your growing baby needs oxygen — and plenty of it. If you stop taking your medication, reduced oxygen flow can cause premature birth, raise the risk of infant mortality, and lead to low birth weight.

The NHLBI reviewed clinical research that studied the effects of asthma medication on the developing fetus. They found few adverse effects. But as an expecting mother, you also need to know there are still risks. Your doctor can explain them to you.

Will your delivery be handled differently because you have asthma?

Mothers with asthma are usually considered high risk, so you may be excluded from birthing centers, or discouraged from having your baby at home. Ask the hospital you expect to use about its policy for managing your delivery. The NHLBI reports that women with asthma sometimes experience mild contractions during an asthma episode. You should call your doctor immediately if you think you’re having contractions. However, the NHLBI notes that these episode-related contractions do not usually lead to premature labor, and should taper off as soon as you take the reliever medication your doctor has prescribed for you.

According to the NHLBI, some standard labor and delivery medications can provoke an asthma episode. Your asthma care provider will make sure your prenatal care provider knows which medications to avoid. This is one of the many reasons good communication between your two doctors is so important. With you, your prenatal care provider, and your asthma care provider working together, your chances for a healthy pregnancy, a standard delivery, and a beautiful baby are not much different from any other mother’s.

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 1st, 2007 at 7:11 am and is filed under Adult Asthma. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.