Perinatal outcomes in pregnancy with asthma

Objective: To examine the relationship between asthmatic pregnancies and selected maternal and neonatal outcomes in a representative cohort. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital during the year 2004. A random selection was made of 65 asthmatic and 63 non-asthmatic singleton births. The neonatal outcomes studied were birth weight, premature birth and Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes. The maternal outcomes studied were number of hospital admissions, and number of documented UTI during the studied pregnancy and past history of abortions and stillbirths. Results: The mean age of asthmatics and non-asthmatics were 28.0±4.9 years and 27.7±3.6 years respectively. The average parity among asthmatic women was 2.97 while that in controls was 2.57 (p< 0.137). Neonates born to asthmatic mothers had shorter mean gestational age with increased risk of premature birth and lower Apgar scores. Asthmatic mothers had a greater risk of abortions and low birth weight babies. They also had higher rates of UTI's and hospital admissions. Conclusion: Asthmatic pregnancies are more likely to result in abortion, premature delivery and low birth weight babies. The asthmatic pregnancies were also linked with higher rates of maternal UTI. Therefore a more vigilant monitoring is required in asthmatic pregnancies.