Asthma in pregnancy: what changes?

Asthma when not controlled with medication can harm the baby, because when the baby does not receive enough oxygen from the mother, it can undergo growth changes.

Thus, to treat asthma in pregnancy, it is recommended to use asthma remedies, popularly known as 'inhaler', and to follow all precautions within the home to avoid exposure to dust, which can worsen asthma.

Asthma remedies in pregnancy

The remedies for asthma in pregnancy can be the same as the woman used before becoming pregnant, but only if recommended by the doctor, as there are medications that can be safer in pregnancy.

Excessive use of the asthma remedy should be avoided and, therefore, it is recommended to avoid contact with pollen, dust, dogs and cats, perfumes and intense aromas, to avoid an asthmatic attack.

At the end of pregnancy, the pregnant woman may experience shortness of breath due to uterine growth, which decreases the space of the lungs and sometimes this can be confused with asthma symptoms. So, before using the asthma medicine, you should try to improve your breathing and if not, use the asthma medicine.

See other strategies to relieve the discomfort of late pregnancy.

How is the delivery of asthmatic women

The delivery of the woman with asthma can be performed normally or by cesarean section, according to the indication of the obstetrician. During normal childbirth, a woman can use the medications she used during pregnancy to relieve asthma symptoms, without risk to the baby.

However, in case of severe, difficult to control asthma, the doctor may suggest a cesarean section because the pain and emotions involved in normal childbirth can trigger an asthma attack.

Common Asthma Questions During Pregnancy

1. Can pregnant women take asthma medicine during pregnancy?

Yes, the pregnant woman can continue taking the asthma inhaler during pregnancy, as long as it is authorized by the doctor.

2. Can the asthma inhaler harm the baby?

Asthma drugs can pass to the baby through the placenta, so they should be used under medical advice. The safest and safest ones should be used. Under these conditions, treatment for asthma does not harm the baby and the benefits of the medicine outweigh the possible risks.

3. Can asthma drugs be used for breastfeeding?

After the baby is born, the woman can breastfeed normally because the drugs that the mother uses to control asthma, pass in small quantities into breast milk. However, women should use those that are considered safe in breastfeeding. See which antiasthmatics are considered safe in breastfeeding.

4. Does the presence of asthma make a pregnancy at risk?

Usually not, because asthma can be controlled with the medications indicated by the pulmonologist. But in some cases, and if asthma treatment is not carried out correctly, asthma can worsen and even be fatal, putting both the woman's and baby's life at risk.

5. Does asthma improve or worsen in pregnancy?

Normally, a woman who has mild asthma, controlled with the inhaler, has a decrease in asthma symptoms, while women who already had difficult asthma control before becoming pregnant, tend to have more severe symptoms. Therefore, treatment should be indicated by the obstetrician together with the pulmonologist.

When the symptoms are mild and easy to control with the asthma inhaler, the woman's prenatal care is exactly the same as that of someone who does not have asthma. In the case of a pregnant woman who has difficult to control asthma, the obstetrician may request a spirometry exam in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy, to check her breathing capacity using a small device called peakflow, which indicates whether the air can reach the lungs.

6. Will the baby be born with asthma?

Children of asthmatic mothers have a higher risk of developing the disease, because it is caused by a genetic alteration, which can pass from mother to child. When only the mother has asthma, the risk of the baby having asthma is 25% and increases to 50% if the father is also asthmatic. See How to care for your baby with asthma.