Pregnant women must control asthma

CONTROLLING ASTHMA during pregnancy is good for the mother and her baby even if it means taking medication, according to new US asthma-control guidelines.
Despite some evidence that asthma drugs are not safe for the baby, medication is still safer than having asthma attacks.
"Many pregnant women stop taking asthma medicines fearing they would harm the baby. Howev er, it is well known that asthma attacks lower oxygen supply to the baby, which is far more harmful than the drugs," says Dr Rajesh Chawla, senior consultant, respiratory medicine, Apollo Hospital.
The US National Asthma Education and Prevention Programme issued the treatment update for managing asthma during pregnancy. The recommendations are based on a review of data on the safety of asthma medications during pregnancy and published in the Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology.
Treatment of asthma in pregnant women should be the same as other adults: medication is stepped up in intensity if needed, and stepped down when possible. Conditions that worsen asthma should also be treated as they often become more troublesome during pregnancy.

The guidelines say gynaecologists should monitor asthma severity during pre-natal visits as asthma severity changes during pregnancy for most women. Asthma worsens in about 30 per cent of women during pregnancy.
Recommendations Salbutamol should be used for quick relief Women with persistent asthma need daily medication Inhaled corticosteroid is the preferred medication to control inflammation Increase the dose of inhaled corticosteroid or add another medication to control asthma
CONTROLLING ASTHMA dur- ing pregnancy is good for the mother and her baby even if it means taking medication, ac- cording to new US asthma-con- trol guidelines. Despite some evidence that asthma drugs are not safe for the baby, medication is still safer than having asthma attacks. "Many pregnant women stop taking asthma medicines fearing they would harm the baby. Howev- er, it is well known that asthma at- tacks lower oxygen supply to the baby, which is far more harmful than the drugs," says Dr Rajesh Chawla, senior consultant, respi- ratory medicine, Apollo Hospital. The US National Asthma Edu- cation and Prevention Pro- gramme issued the treatment up- date for managing asthma during pregnancy. The recommenda- tions are based on a review of data on the safety of asthma med- ications during pregnancy and published in the Journal of Al- lergy & Clinical Immunology. Treatment of asthma in preg- nant women should be the same as other adults: medication is stepped up in intensity if needed, and stepped down when possible. Conditions that worsen asthma should also be treated as they of- ten become more troublesome during pregnancy. The guidelines say gynaecolo- gists should monitor asthma severity during pre-natal visits as asthma severity changes during pregnancy for most women. Asth- ma worsens in about 30 per cent of women during pregnancy. Recommendations Salbutamol should be used for quick relief Women with persistent asthma need daily medication Inhaled corticosteroid is the preferred medication to control inflammation Increase the dose of inhaled corticosteroid or add another medication to control asthma.