On the necessity and safety of treatment for asthma during pregnancy

Therapy for patients with asthma during pregnancy provides a combination of maximizing benefits and minimizing risks for the mother and her baby. However, the number of studies dealing with therapy with different types of inhaled drugs is extremely scarce. Objective. To analyze the nature of the course of asthma during pregnancy, the incidence of complications of pregnancy and childbirth, as well as the health status of newborns in female patients with asthma treated with a combination of formoterol and budesonide. Subjects and methods. A clinical and functional examination and a follow-up were made in 2557 pregnant asthmatic women of childbearing age, as well as in their babies under 1 year old. Results. Among the patients taking the combination drug, the degree of asthma control was significantly higher and moderate and severe preeclampsia developed significantly less frequently than in the group as a whole. There was no impact of therapy with the combination drug of formoterol and budesonide on the timeliness of delivery. The weight and height and Apgar scores of the babies born to the mothers who used the combination drug were not different from the normal values. The incidence of atopic dermatitis in babies under the age of 1 year was significantly (p=0.029) lower in the babies whose mothers received therapy with the combination of formoterol and budesonide. Conclusion. The findings suggest the absence of a negative impact of therapy with the combination of formoterol and budesonide on the development of pregnancy complications, the timeliness of delivery, weight and height, and Apgar scores of newborns, as well as the presence of a positive impact on the controllability of the disease, on a decrease in the incidence of preeclampsia in patients with asthma and in that of atopic dermatitis in their babies.