Cessation of asthma medication in early pregnancy

The Association of Periconception Asthma Medication Discontinuation with Adverse Obstetric Outcomes

OBJECTIVE

 This study aimed to investigate asthma medication reduction in the periconceptional period as it relates to asthma status and adverse outcomes in pregnancy.

STUDY DESIGN

 In a prospective cohort study, self-reported current and past asthma medications were collected and analyzes compared measures of asthma status in women who discontinued asthma medication in the 6 months prior to enrollment ("step-down") versus those who did not ("no change"). Evaluation of asthma was done at three study visits (one per trimester) and by daily diaries, including measures of lung function (percent predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 and 6 s [%FEV1, %FEV6], peak expiratory flow [%PEF], forced vital capacity [%FVC], FEV1 to FVC ratio [FEV1/FVC]), lung inflammation (fractional exhaled nitric oxide [FeNO], ppb), rate of asthma symptoms (activity limitation, night symptoms, rescue inhaler use, wheeze, shortness of breath, cough, chest tightness, chest pain), and rate of asthma exacerbations. Adverse pregnancy outcomes were also evaluated. Adjusted regression analyses examined whether adverse outcomes differed by periconceptional asthma medication changes.

RESULTS

 Of 279 participants included in analyses, 135 (48.4%) did not change asthma medication in the periconceptional period, whereas 144 (51.6%) reported a step down in medication. Those in the step-down group were more likely to have milder disease (88 [61.1%] in the step-down vs. 74 [54.8%] in the no change group), exhibited less activity limitation (rate ratio [RR]: 0.68, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.47-0.98), and experienced fewer asthma attacks (RR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.34-0.84) during pregnancy. The step-down group had a nonsignificant increase in overall odds of experiencing an adverse pregnancy outcome (odds ratio: 1.62, 95% CI: 0.97-2.72).

CONCLUSION

 Over half of women with asthma reduce asthma medication in the periconceptional period. Although these women typically have milder disease, a step down in medication may be associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.

KEY POINTS

· Many women reduce their asthma medication in pregnancy.. · Reduction is more common among those with mild disease.. · Medication reduction may lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes..

Maternal asthma in relation to infant size and body composition

Background

Asthma affects 10% of pregnancies and may influence offspring health, including infant size and body composition, through hypoxic and inflammatory pathways.

Objective

We sought to determine associations between maternal asthma and asthma phenotypes during pregnancy and infant size and body composition.

Methods

The B-WELL-Mom study (2015-19) is a prospective cohort of 418 pregnant persons with and without asthma recruited in the first trimester of pregnancy from 2 US obstetric clinics. Exposures were maternal self-reported active asthma (n = 311) or no asthma (n = 107), and asthma phenotypes were classified on the bases of atopy, onset, exercise induced, control, severity, symptomology, and exacerbations. Outcomes were infant weight, length, head circumference, and skinfold measurements at birth and postnatal follow-up, as well as fat and lean mass assessed by air displacement plethysmography at birth. Adjusted multivariable linear regression examined associations of maternal asthma and asthma phenotypes with infant outcomes.

Results

Offspring were born at a mean ± SD of 38 ± 2.3 weeks' gestation and were 18 ± 2.2 weeks of age at postnatal follow-up. Infants of participants with asthma had a mean ± SD fat mass of 11.0 ± 4.2%, birth weight of 3045.8 ± 604.3 g, and postnatal follow-up weight of 6696.4 ± 964.2 g, which were not different from infants of participants without asthma (respectively, β [95% confidence interval]: -0.1 [-1.4, 1.3], -26.7 [-156.9, 103.4], and 107.5 [-117.3, 332.3]). Few associations were observed between asthma or asthma phenotypes and infant size or body composition.

Conclusions

In a current obstetric cohort, maternal asthma during pregnancy was not associated with differential infant size or body composition.

Status Asthmaticus Gravidus: Emergency and Critical Care Management of Acute Severe Asthma During Pregnancy

One-third of women with asthma have deterioration of their asthma during pregnancy, and one-fourth of pregnant women with asthma will experience severe exacerbations necessitating emergency department (ED) visits or hospitalizations. Early recognition of acute severe asthma, including life-threatening status asthmaticus, and aggressive medical interventions with β2-agonists, anticholinergic agents, and systemic corticosteroids are necessary to treat maternal airway bronchoconstriction, support maternal and fetal oxygenation, and avoid adverse fetal outcomes. This review describes management of acute severe asthma in pregnancy, including status asthmaticus, in the ED and intensive care unit.

Life Course of Asthma

Asthma is a heterogeneous chronic airway disease that can vary over a lifetime. Although broad categories of asthma by severity and type have been constructed, there remains a tremendous opportunity to discover an approach to managing asthma with additional factors in mind. Many in the field have suggested and are pursuing a novel paradigm shift in how asthma might be better managed, considering the life course of exposures, management priorities, and predicted trajectory of lung function growth. This approach will require a more holistic view of prenatal, postnatal, adolescence, hormonal and gender aspects, and the aging process. In addition, the environment, externally and internally, including in one's genetic code and epigenetic changes, are factors that affect how asthma progresses or becomes more stable in individuals. This chapter focuses on the various influences that may, to differing degrees, affect people with asthma, which can develop at any time in their lives. Shifting the paradigm of thought and strategies for care and advocating for public policies and health delivery that focus on this philosophy is paramount to advance asthma care for all.

Beliefs about medicines and adherence to asthma medications during pregnancy

OBJECTIVE

Discontinuation of, and non-adherence to, inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) for asthma treatment is a significant issue in pregnancy. This study characterized beliefs about medicines in pregnant women with asthma and investigated associations with ICS adherence.

METHODS

Pregnant women with relatively mild asthma (n = 302) were grouped according to ICS use and self-reported adherence (≥80% doses taken). They completed questions about dislike of asthma medications and the validated Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ), which consists of ten questions about asthma medicines ("necessity" questions about maintaining health, or "concern" questions about adverse effects), and eight general medicine questions, scored on five-point Likert scales. The Necessity Concerns differential (N-C) was calculated, with positive scores indicating that the patient perceives the benefits of medicines to outweigh the risks.

RESULTS

ICS was used by 87 (29%) women, with 49 (56%) self-reporting adherence. Of the 22% who disliked taking asthma medications during pregnancy, 20% had the belief that the medication was unsafe. ICS users had a significantly higher BMQ necessity score and higher necessity-concern differential score than nonusers; when adjusted for covariates, ICS non-adherence was associated with a lower necessity score (p = 0.015). Women adherent to ICS were more likely to agree to "my health at present depends on my asthma medication" compared to non-adherent ICS users.

CONCLUSIONS

ICS non-adherence was not associated with having relatively more concerns about asthma medicines; however, ICS users were more likely to perceive that the benefits of medication use outweighed any risks. Interventions to improve asthma medication adherence in pregnancy are needed.

Challenges in the successful management of asthma during conception, pregnancy and delivery

Asthma and infertility are the most common disorders among women of reproductive age. Time to pregnancy is prolonged in women with asthma, and importantly, age seems to be a more important risk factor regarding fertility in women with asthma compared to women without asthma. Some data have shown a higher frequency of miscarriages in women with asthma, although the data are conflicting on this issue as studies have observed no association between asthma and pregnancy loss. Furthermore, studies have shown no negative effect of asthma on the total number of offspring. Pregnancy may, thus, have a significant impact on women with asthma, as well as on their offspring.

The age of the women has an important impact on ability to conceive, but also for the pregnancy itself, with higher risk of uncontrolled asthma as well as asthma exacerbations with increasing age. Well-controlled asthma decreases the risk of maternal and fetal complications, while poorly controlled and undertreated asthma is associated with a range of risks for both mother and fetus. Asthma treatment should follow the general guidelines for asthma therapy, irrespective of pregnancy status, including treatment with inhaled corticosteroids, β2-agonists and muscarinic antagonists. Targeted treatment with biologics for severe asthma seems to be without important adverse effects. The use of systemic corticosteroids may be associated with adverse events during the first trimester; however, an exacerbation with the associated risk of hypoxaemia is worse for the fetus. Best possible asthma control may be achieved using repeated measurements of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO), as the use of FENO compared with symptoms registration only has been shown to reduce exacerbation rate.

In conclusion, women with asthma should be encouraged to conceive at an early age, might experience miscarriages, but the number of offspring are the same as in women without asthma. Well treated asthma is important for the well-being of both the mother and the unborn fetus.

An update on the physiologic changes during pregnancy and their impact on drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacogenomics

For many years, the medical community has relied in clinical practice on historic data about the physiological changes that occur during pregnancy. However, some newer studies have disputed a number of assumptions in these data for not being evidence-based or derived from large prospective cohort-studies. Accurate knowledge of these physiological changes is important for three reasons: Firstly, it facilitates correct diagnosis of diseases during pregnancy; secondly, it enables us to answer questions about the effects of medication during pregnancy and the ways in which pregnancy alters pharmacokinetic and drug-effects; and thirdly, it allows for proper modeling of physiologically-based pharmacokinetic models, which are increasingly used to predict gestation-specific changes and drug-drug interactions, as well as develop new knowledge on the mode-of-action of drugs, the mechanisms underlying their interactions, and any adverse effects following drug exposure. This paper reviews new evidence regarding the physiologic changes during pregnancy in relation to existing knowledge.

Determining the Clinical Course of Asthma in Pregnancy

BACKGROUND

Asthma is the most common chronic disease affecting pregnancy, and poor asthma control has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, the trajectory of asthma control during pregnancy is not well understood or characterized.

OBJECTIVE

To identify and characterize trajectories of gestational asthma control in a US-based prospective pregnancy cohort.

METHODS

A k-means algorithm for joint longitudinal data was used to cluster pregnant women with and without asthma into gestational asthma control trajectories on the basis of daily activity limitation, nighttime symptoms, inhaler use, and respiratory symptoms.

RESULTS

Among 308 women with asthma, 2 trajectories of gestational asthma control were identified and labeled "same" (n = 184; 59.5%) or "worse" (n = 124; 40.5%). Contrary to previous studies, we did not observe women with better asthma control in pregnancy. Women belonging to the "worse" trajectory experienced frequent and stable activity limitation and inhaler use, as well as frequent and increasing nighttime symptoms (∼3 d/gestational week) and respiratory symptoms (∼5 times/wk). Women belonging to the "same" trajectory experienced infrequent and stable activity limitation, inhaler use, and respiratory symptoms, as well as infrequent and slightly increasing (∼1 d/gestational week) nighttime symptoms. Results from pregnant women without asthma (n = 107) suggest that pregnancy alone was not responsible for changes in symptoms over time.

CONCLUSIONS

In this US-based obstetric cohort receiving care according to standard clinical practice, gestational asthma control worsened for about 40% of women.

Asthma in pregnancy: An update

AIM

To update obstetric care providers about asthma management.

SUMMARY

Asthma is the most frequent comorbid chronic illness in pregnancy. Convincing evidence shows that uncontrolled asthma magnifies the risk of maternal, fetal and neonate complications. Unfortunately, one in four women take no inhaler during pregnancy, and it is likely that decreased adherence, rather than changes in pathology, explains uncontrolled maternal asthma. Patient surveys reveal a need for information and reassurance. Although some molecules are preferred in pregnancy, there is currently no basis to withhold any asthma medication - old or new. Biomarkers such as blood eosinophils and fractional exhaled nitric oxide are an effective way to assess the risk of asthma attacks and the likelihood of responding to inhaled steroids. Furthermore, practice-changing trials in mild asthma show that switching reliever-only regimens to as-needed 'controller-and-reliever' therapy is effective. We suggest that applying these changes can alleviate women's concerns and improve outcomes.

The safety of asthma medications during pregnancy and lactation: Clinical management and research priorities

Asthma is one of the most common underlying diseases in women of reproductive age that can lead to potentially serious medical problems during pregnancy and lactation. A group of key stakeholders across multiple relevant disciplines was invited to take part in an effort to prioritize, strategize, and mobilize action steps to fill important gaps in knowledge regarding asthma medication safety in pregnancy and lactation. The stakeholders identified substantial gaps in the literature on the safety of asthma medications used during pregnancy and lactation and prioritized strategies to fill those gaps. Short-term action steps included linking data from existing complementary study designs (US and international claims data, single drug pregnancy registries, case-control studies, and coordinated systematic data systems). Long-term action steps included creating an asthma disease registry, incorporating the disease registry into electronic health record systems, and coordinating care across disciplines. The stakeholders also prioritized establishing new infrastructures/collaborations to perform research in pregnant and lactating women and to include patient perspectives throughout the process. To address the evidence gaps, and aid in populating product labels with data that inform clinical decision making, the consortium developed a plan to systematically obtain necessary data in the most efficient and timely manner.

Exacerbations of asthma following step-up and step-down inhaled corticosteroid and long acting beta agonist therapy in the managing asthma in pregnancy study

OBJECTIVE

Guidelines for asthma management contain a consensus recommendation that inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) dose should not be stepped down in pregnancy. However, this is not consistent with consumer preferences and pharmacological principles to minimize medication exposure during pregnancy. We investigated exacerbations after changes to ICS and long acting beta agonist (LABA) therapy in pregnant women with asthma.

METHODS

Pregnant women (n = 220) were recruited to a randomized controlled trial (RCT) where maintenance treatment was adjusted monthly based on either symptoms (control group), or fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO, to alter ICS) and symptoms (to alter LABA, FeNO group). Exacerbations were monitored prospectively.

RESULTS

ICS were used by 137 (62.3%) women at some time during pregnancy. ICS dose remained unchanged in 16 women (11.7%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 7-18%), increased in 37 women (27%, 95%CI 20-35%), decreased in 34 women (24.8%, 95%CI 18%-33%), or both increased and decreased in 50 women (36.5%, 95%CI 29-45%). Exacerbations occurred within 14 days of ICS step-down in 11 women (13%, 95%CI 7.5%-22%). This was not significantly different from exacerbations occurring within 14 days of step-up, in 7 women (8.1%, 95%CI 4%-16%, P = 0.294). There were no differences between management groups. Exacerbations occurred within 14 days of step-down in 14.7% (95%CI 7%-30%) of women in the control group, and in 12% (95%CI 6%-24%) of women in the FENO group.

CONCLUSIONS

ICS step-down could be considered when eosinophilic inflammation or symptoms are low, and may be a useful management approach for women, doctors, and midwives wishing to minimize ICS exposure during pregnancy.

Factors Associated with Nonadherence to Inhaled Corticosteroids for Asthma During Pregnancy

BACKGROUND

Nonadherence is common among pregnant women prescribed inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) for asthma and may have serious consequences for mother and baby. Factors associated with ICS nonadherence have not been determined in this population.

OBJECTIVES

To determine factors associated with {1} nonadherence to ICS in early-mid pregnancy (cross-sectional) and {2} persistent nonadherence to ICS during pregnancy (longitudinal).

METHODS

Data used come from 3 prospective studies (2004-2019) involving women with asthma recruited by 23 weeks' gestation (N = 1614). Demographics, asthma history, and current symptoms were assessed, and spirometry was performed at baseline and throughout pregnancy. Women self-reported current medication use and number of ICS doses missed in the past week. Nonadherence was defined as ≥20% of prescribed dosages missed in the past week (baseline) and on at least 2 occasions during follow-up (persistent). Factors associated with ICS nonadherence were examined using backward stepwise logistic regression.

RESULTS

Of 610 (38%) women prescribed ICS at baseline, 236 (39%) were classified as nonadherent. Of 612 (38%) women prescribed ICS during at least 2 follow-up visits, 149 (24%) were classified as persistent nonadherent. Factors associated with nonadherence at baseline were current or ex-smoking, non-Caucasian/non-Indigenous ethnicity, adult diagnosis of asthma, and lower lung function. Factors associated with persistent nonadherence to ICS were lower maternal age, higher parity, and no prescribed ICS at baseline.

CONCLUSION

Young multiparous non-Caucasian/non-Indigenous mothers are at increased risk of being nonadherent to ICS during pregnancy. Strategies to improve ICS nonadherence should address maternal smoking and target women who (re-)initiate ICS use in pregnancy.

Prescribing for pregnancy: asthma

Topics for DTB review articles are selected by DTB's editorial board to provide concise overviews of medicines and other treatments to help patients get the best care. Articles include a summary of key points and a brief overview for patients. Articles may also have a series of multiple choice CME questions.

Understanding pregnant women's adherence-related beliefs about Nicotine Replacement Therapy for smoking cessation: A qualitative study

INTRODUCTION

Reducing smoking during pregnancy is a public health priority. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is offered routinely to pregnant women who smoke in the United Kingdom. However, evidence of treatment efficacy in this population is weak, most likely due to poor adherence. Guided by the Necessity-Concerns Framework, we conducted a qualitative study to better understand pregnant women's perceived needs and concerns regarding NRT use, with consideration of combination NRT.

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews were conducted by telephone with 18 pregnant or recently pregnant women in England and Wales, purposively sampled for different NRT-related experiences. Participants were recruited online via Facebook adverts and through a Stop Smoking Service. A hybrid approach of deductive and inductive thematic coding was used for analysis.

RESULTS

Findings were organized around three themes: 1) the role of motivation to stop smoking; 2) necessity beliefs about using NRT; and 3) concerns about NRT. Some women reported fluctuating motivation for stopping smoking which undermined their NRT use. Others used NRT to cut down the number of cigarettes they smoked. Reasons for low NRT necessity beliefs included a preference for quitting unassisted, low or unrealistic expectations of efficacy, and overconfidence in achieving cessation (necessity testing). Concerns included safety, particularly around increased nicotine exposure with combination NRT, addictiveness, side effects, and capability to use.

CONCLUSION

Pregnant women have multiple necessity beliefs and concerns that influence their use of NRT. Targeting these, alongside increasing and maintaining motivation to quit smoking, will likely help optimize NRT use in pregnancy and improve quit rates.

Placental Trophoblast-Inspired Lipid Bilayers for Cell-Free Investigation of Molecular Interactions

The placenta plays a key role in regulating the maternal-fetal transport but it is a difficult organ to study due to a lack of existing in vitro models. Lipid bilayers inspired by the placenta can provide a facile new in vitro tool with promise for screening molecular transport across this important organ. Here we developed lipid bilayers that mimic the composition of human placental trophoblast cells at different times during the course of pregnancy. Mass spectrometry identified five major lipid classes (phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylserine, and sphingomyelin) present at varying concentrations in trophoblasts representative of the first and third trimesters and full-term placenta. We successfully developed supported and suspended lipid bilayers mimicking these trophoblast lipid compositions and then demonstrated the utility of these synthetic placenta models for investigating molecular interactions. Specifically, we investigated the interactions with di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a common plasticizer and environmental toxicant, and amphotericin B, a common yet toxic, antifungal therapeutic. Overall, we observed that DEHP adsorbs and potentially embeds itself within all placental lipid bilayers, with varying levels of interaction. For both amphotericin B and a liposomal formulation of amphotericin B, AmBisome, we noted lower levels of permeation in transport studies with bilayers and trophoblast cells compared with DEHP, likely driven by differences in size. AmBisome interacted less with both the supported and suspended placental lipid bilayers in comparison to amphotericin B, suggesting that drug delivery carriers can vary the impact of a pharmaceutical agent on these lipid structures. We found that the apparent permeability observed in suspended bilayers was approximately an order of magnitude less than those observed for trophoblast monolayers, which is typical of lipid bilayers. Ultimately, these placenta mimetic lipid bilayers can serve as a platform for the rapid initial screening of molecular interactions with the maternal-fetal interface to better inform future testing.

Asthma prevalence among women aged 18 to 44 in the United States: National health and nutrition examination survey 2001-2016

Objective: To provide updated prevalence estimates of asthma and asthma medication use for women of childbearing age in the United States.Methods: Using data from 11,383 women aged 18-44, including a subset of 1,245 pregnant women, enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2001-2016), we assessed the age-adjusted prevalence of self-reported diagnosed asthma. For women aged 18-44, we stratified by year, demographics, and other characteristics. Furthermore, we assessed asthma medication use among women aged 18-44 with asthma.Results: After age-adjustment, 9.9% (95% confidence interval (CI) 9.2%, 10.7%) of women aged 18-44 and 10.9% (95% CI 7.2%, 14.6%) of pregnant women reported having asthma. Asthma prevalence was highest in 2015-2016 (12.0% 95% CI 9.8%, 14.3%) and lowest in 2003-2004 (8.6% 95% CI 6.4%, 10.8%). Women aged 18-44 with Medicaid or State Children's Health Insurance Program insurance coverage (16.8% 95% CI 14.5%, 19.2%), obesity (14.4% 95% CI 12.9%, 15.8%), diabetes (18.7% 95% CI 12.1%, 25.2%), hypertension (16.6% 95% CI 14.2%, 19.0%), and current smokers (12.8% 95% CI 11.4%, 14.2%) had the highest asthma prevalence. Of women with asthma, 38.3% (95% CI 34.5%, 42.1%) reported using asthma medications in the past 30 days.Conclusions: Among women of childbearing ages, asthma burden varies across demographic and clinical characteristics and has increased in recent years.

Effect of asthma exacerbation during pregnancy in women with asthma: a population-based cohort study

The association between asthma exacerbation during pregnancy and adverse maternal and child health outcomes have not been investigated appropriately. Our objective was to determine the short- and long-term intergenerational effect of asthma exacerbation in pregnant women with asthma.A population cohort study was conducted using data from the Ontario asthma surveillance system and population-level health administrative data. Asthma exacerbation in pregnant women with asthma was defined as at least one of the following criteria: at least five physician visits, or one emergency department visit or one hospital admission for asthma during pregnancy. Pregnancy complications, adverse perinatal outcomes and early childhood respiratory disorders were identified using International Classification of Disease codes (9th and 10th revisions).The cohort consisted of 103 424 singleton pregnancies in women with asthma. Asthma exacerbation in pregnant women with asthma was associated with higher odds of pre-eclampsia (OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.12-1.51) and pregnancy-induced hypertension (OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.02-1.33); babies had higher odds of low birthweight (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.00-1.31), preterm birth (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.01-1.29) and congenital malformations (OR 1.21, 95% CI 1.05-1.39). Children born to women with asthma exacerbation during pregnancy had elevated risk of asthma (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.13-1.33) and pneumonia (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.03-1.22) during the first 5 years of life.Asthma exacerbation during pregnancy in women with asthma showed increased risk of pregnancy complications, adverse perinatal outcomes and early childhood respiratory disorders in their children, indicating that appropriate asthma management may reduce the risk of adverse health outcomes.

Recent developments in asthma in pregnancy

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Asthma affects up to 13% of pregnancies worldwide and has a varying and unpredictable clinical course during pregnancy. Pharmacological asthma treatment is recommended; however, studies show that some pregnant women with asthma cease their medication in early pregnancy. There is likely a large unmet disease burden arising from asthma in pregnancy.

RECENT FINDINGS

Antenatal and asthma guidelines lack sufficient information on asthma management in pregnant women, and implementation of the current guidelines seems inadequate. Prescription databases provide evidence of cessation of asthma medication during pregnancy on a population level. Population-based databases also provide evidence of rare adverse perinatal outcomes. The risk of childhood asthma in the offspring of women with asthma is reduced by adequate control of maternal asthma during pregnancy. Vitamin D sufficiency during pregnancy could also reduce the risk of childhood asthma.

SUMMARY

The findings of this review demonstrate the need for improved asthma and antenatal guidelines regarding asthma management during pregnancy, and the need of adequate implementation of these guidelines. Furthermore, adequate asthma control during pregnancy is needed to reduce the risk of childhood asthma. To maintain asthma control, prepregnancy medication should be continued throughout pregnancy and adjusted according to the current treatment steps if required.

Perinatal Outcomes Associated with Maternal Asthma and Its Severity and Control During Pregnancy

BACKGROUND

Estimates of the effects of maternal asthma on pregnancy outcomes are inconsistent across studies, possibly because of differences in exposure definition.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes associated with maternal asthma diagnosis, severity, and control in a large, nationally representative cohort.

METHODS

This study was conducted within the IBM Health MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters Database (2011-2015) and the Medicaid Analytic eXtract database (2000-2014). Asthma was identified by diagnosis and treatment codes, severity was based on medications dispensed, and control was based on short-acting β-agonist dispensations and exacerbations. We estimated the relative risks (RRs) of stillbirth, spontaneous abortion, preterm birth, small for gestational age (SGA), neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, and congenital malformations, comparing pregnancies with differing asthma disease status.

RESULTS

We identified 29,882 pregnancies complicated by asthma in the MarketScan database and 160,638 in the Medicaid Analytic eXtract database. We observed no consistent associations between asthma diagnosis, severity, or control, and stillbirth, abortions, or malformations. However, we observed increased risks of prematurity, SGA, and NICU admission among women with asthma compared with those without asthma. Compared with women with well-controlled asthma, women with poor control late in pregnancy had an increased risk of preterm birth (relative risk, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.32-1.46) and NICU admission (relative risk, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.17-1.35). More severe asthma was associated with SGA (relative risk, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.07-1.30).

CONCLUSIONS

We did not observe an increased risk of pregnancy losses or malformations among women with asthma. However, we found an association between asthma severity and SGA, and between exacerbations late in pregnancy and preterm delivery and NICU admission.

Inhaled corticosteroid use during pregnancy among women with asthma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Studies demonstrate the prescription rate for inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) decreases in early pregnancy, possibly increasing exacerbation risk. This could be related to non-adherence to prescribed asthma medication or medication cessation by the patient or doctor. ICS use during pregnancy has not previously been summarized in a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the use of ICS during pregnancy among asthmatic women, specifically: (1) the prevalence of use, (2) changes of use during pregnancy compared with pre-pregnancy and (3) medication adherence among ICS users.

METHODS

We systematically searched literature in Embase, MEDLINE, CINAL and Cochrane, using terms related to asthma, pregnancy and medication use. All English articles reporting ICS among pregnant women with asthma were included. Prevalence, changes in ICS use during pregnancy and ICS adherence were pooled using STATA (version 15.0, StataCorp USA).

RESULTS

A total of 4237 references were retrieved in the initial search. Screening and review led to the inclusion of 52 articles for one or more aims (Aim 1: N = 45; Aim 2, N = 13; and Aim 3, N = 5). The pooled prevalence of ICS use during pregnancy was 41% (95%CI 36%-45%); 49% (95%CI 44%-55%) in Europe, 39% (95%CI 32%-47%) in Australia and 34% (95%CI 27%-41%) in North America. In eight prescription databases, ICS prescription rates lowered in the first trimester of pregnancy, compared with pre-pregnancy, increased in the second trimester and decreased in the third trimester. Five studies reported ICS adherence among pregnant women, using four measures of self-reported non-adherence. In two comparable studies, pooled ICS non-adherence was 40% (95%CI 36%-44%).

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of ICS use among pregnant women with asthma is 41% and varies widely between countries and continents, and prescription rates for ICS change throughout pregnancy. More studies are needed to investigate ICS adherence during pregnancy in women with asthma.

Poorly Controlled Asthma During Pregnancy Remains Common in the United States

BACKGROUND

Asthma is among the most common preexisting medical conditions in pregnancy. Uncontrolled asthma may increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the prevalence, severity, and control of asthma during pregnancy in the United States.

METHODS

We identified 2 cohorts of pregnancies ending in a live birth within 2 large US health care claims databases: the Truven Health MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters Database (MarketScan, private insurance) for the period 2011 to 2015 and the nationwide Medicaid Analytic eXtract (MAX, public insurance) for the period 2000 to 2013. We defined asthma prevalence, severity, and control on the basis of International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision diagnoses and asthma-related treatments. Severe asthma was defined as dispensing of 1 or more medium/high-dose inhaled corticosteroid plus additional therapy within the 12 months preceding delivery. Poor control was defined as having at least 1 of the following: 1 or more exacerbation (asthma-related hospitalization or emergency room visit, or a course of oral corticosteroids) or 5 or more filled prescriptions for short-acting β-agonists between the last menstrual period and delivery.

RESULTS

Among 604,420 pregnant women in MarketScan and 2,071,359 in MAX, 20,104 (3.3%) and 120,745 (5.8%) had asthma, respectively. Among pregnant women with asthma, 19.0% and 18.8% had severe asthma and 16.5% and 28.0% had poorly controlled asthma in MarketScan and MAX, respectively. Many women with poorly controlled asthma during pregnancy were not dispensed a long-term controller (38.4% in MarketScan and 43.3% in MAX). Within both cohorts, women with poor control were more often smokers and obese, had more comorbidities, and used more concomitant nonasthma medications.

CONCLUSIONS

Poorly controlled asthma is more frequent among publicly versus privately insured pregnancies in the United States. Dispensing of long-term controller medications during pregnancy remains low, even for symptomatic patients.

What is safe enough - asthma in pregnancy - a review of current literature and recommendations

Background

Although asthma is one of the most serious diseases causing complications during pregnancy, half of the women discontinue therapy thus diminishing the control of the disease, mostly due to the inadequate education and fear of adverse events. Sadly, this is sometimes encouraged by insufficiently educated physicians. Since the incidence and the prevalence of asthma is increasing, it is important to arouse the importance of proper asthma therapy during pregnancy. Inadequate therapy, as well as interrupting or discontinuing therapy, may result in adverse perinatal outcomes for both mother and child.

Main body

The main goal of asthma control during pregnancy is control of symptoms and prevention of exacerbations, same as in every asthmatic, but even more important. Maintaining optimal lung function, as well as regular daily activities, ensures maintenance of optimal fetal oxygenation. The therapy should be adapted depending on the frequency and severity of daily and nocturnal symptoms, demand for reliever therapy, by the limitations in everyday activities and the frequency of emergency asthma-related hospitalizations. Pre-conceptual education and therapy are very important and should be supported by an asthma action plan adjusted for the period of pregnancy. It is very important to note that most of the drugs used before pregnancy can be safely continued during pregnancy. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapy should be used in parallel. Pregnant women should be informed about the nature of the disease, therapy used during pregnancy, possible complications, avoidance of triggers, proper administration of therapy and, most important, why should the therapy be continued throughout the pregnancy on individual basis. Although drug treatment should be based on using drugs with less harm risk, if control of severe symptoms is needed to be achieved in order to protect both mother and child, any anti-asthmatic drug would have the beneficial benefit/harm ratio.

Conclusion

There is no solid evidence that asthma treatment during pregnancy causes adverse outcomes for the mother and child but for many, especially new drugs, there is not enough data gathered. On the other hand, harmfulness of uncontrolled asthma during pregnancy is well documented so every effort should be put on preserving good control of asthma during pregnancy.

Trends in asthma self-management skills and inhaled corticosteroid use during pregnancy and postpartum from 2004 to 2017

OBJECTIVE

Asthma exacerbations and medication non-adherence are significant clinical problems during pregnancy. While asthma self-management education is effective, the number of education sessions required to maximise asthma management knowledge and inhaler technique and whether improvements persist postpartum, are unknown. This paper describes how asthma knowledge, skills, and inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) use have changed over time.

METHODS

Data were obtained from 3 cohorts of pregnant women with asthma recruited in Newcastle, Australia between 2004 and 2017 (N = 895). Medication use, adherence, knowledge, and inhaler technique were compared between cohorts. Changes in self-management knowledge/skills and women's perception of medication risk to the fetus were assessed in 685 women with 5 assessments during pregnancy, and 95 women who had a postpartum assessment.

RESULTS

At study entry, 41%, 29%, and 38% of participants used ICS in the 2004, 2007, and 2013 cohorts, respectively (p = 0.017), with 40% non-adherence in each cohort. Self-management skills of pregnant women with asthma did not improve between 2004 and 2017 and possession of a written action plan remained low. Maximum improvements were reached by 3 sessions for medications knowledge and one session for inhaler technique, and were maintained postpartum. ICS adherence was maximally improved after one session, but not maintained postpartum. Perceived risk of asthma medications on the fetus was highest for corticosteroid-containing medication; and was significantly reduced following education.

CONCLUSIONS

There was a high prevalence of non-adherence and poor self-management skills in all cohorts. More awareness of the importance of optimal asthma management during pregnancy is warranted, since no improvements were observed over the past decade.

Asthma health services utilisation before, during and after pregnancy: a population-based cohort study

During pregnancy, females with asthma may be at higher risk of exacerbation. The objective of this study was to determine whether females with asthma in Ontario, Canada have increased health services utilisation (HSU) during pregnancy.Rates of asthma-specific, asthma-related and non-pregnancy-related HSU were calculated in a population-based cohort of pregnant females with asthma. Poisson regression with repeated measures was used to determine adjusted rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals of HSU during and 1 year after pregnancy, compared to the year before pregnancy.The cohort consisted of 103 976 pregnant females with asthma. Compared to the year prior to pregnancy, hospitalisation rates per 100 person-months during pregnancy increased 30% for asthma (from 0.016 to 0.020), 24% for asthma-related conditions (from 0.012 to 0.015) and decreased 37% for non-pregnancy-related conditions (from 0.24 to 0.15). Emergency department visits for asthma and asthma-related conditions did not increase significantly during pregnancy. During pregnancy, physician office visits decreased 19% for asthma (from 2.20 to 1.79), 10% for asthma-related conditions (from 9.44 to 8.47) and increased 74% for non-pregnancy-related conditions (from 56.4 to 98.2).Hospitalisations for asthma and asthma-related conditions increased during pregnancy, demonstrating that the overall increase in non-pregnancy-related physician office visits may not meet the primary care needs of pregnant females with asthma.

Assessment of knowledge and education relating to asthma during pregnancy among women of childbearing age

Background

Misconceptions about medications’ safety can lead pregnant women with asthma to stop their medications, resulting in asthma-related neonatal morbidity and mortality. Our aim was to assess the level of pregnancy-related asthma knowledge and education about asthma medications’ safety, among women of childbearing age with a history of bronchial asthma.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey of convenience sample of outpatient clinic attendees of Pulmonary, Family Medicine and Obstetrics & Gynecology among women of childbearing age with history of asthma at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Participants (n = 171) completed a questionnaire to determine levels of education and knowledge, as well as attitudes and practice relating to asthma treatment.

Results

Among participants, 77.1% were pregnant at the time of the survey, 77.8% had used asthma medications during current or previous pregnancy, 70.8% of all respondents who ever been pregnant believed in the safety of asthma medications during pregnancy, 49.1% had received education about asthma, and 46.8% had been educated about the safety of asthma medications during pregnancy. Responses indicated that 46.8% had stopped (or expressed the desire to stop) asthma medications during pregnancy, and 48% believed asthma medications would harm them and their babies more than asthma itself, but 92.4% expressed that they would be willing to use asthma medications during pregnancy if their safety was confirmed by a physician. Education level and employment status were both associated with an increased likelihood of having received asthma education (p values <0.001 and <0.001 respectively), and with awareness of the safety of the medications during pregnancy (p values <0.001 and <0.003 respectively).

Conclusion

Further efforts is to be taken to develop a program where female asthmatic patients are taught about asthma and its medications’ safety during pregnancy.

Determinants of low risk of asthma exacerbation during pregnancy

BACKGROUND

Assessment of asthma control every 4-6 weeks during pregnancy is recommended to reduce risk of exacerbation, and by that improve outcome.

OBJECTIVE

To identify determinants of pregnancies with low risk of asthma exacerbation.

METHODS

All pregnant women enrolled into the Management of Asthma during Pregnancy (MAP) programme at Hvidovre Hospital since 2007. Assessment of asthma control, adjustment of treatment, spirometry and measurement of exhaled nitric oxide (F_E NO) were performed, and baseline characteristics and exacerbation history were collected at enrolment. Determinants of low-exacerbation risk pregnancies were identified by logistic regression analysis (stepwise backward elimination).

RESULTS

In 1283 pregnancies, 107 exacerbations were observed. Multiple regression analysis revealed that no history of pre-pregnancy exacerbations (P < .001), no prescribed controller medication (P < .001), and clinically stable asthma at enrolment (P = .002) were significantly associated with low risk of exacerbation during pregnancy; with these combined characteristics, only two of 385 pregnancies were complicated by an exacerbation (OR 0.04, 95% CI 0.01-0.18, P < .001).

CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Clinically stable asthma at enrolment, together with no history of previous exacerbations and no prescribed controller medication, is a determinant of low risk of an asthma exacerbation during pregnancy, which may guide clinicians in individualizing surveillance of asthma during pregnancy.

Effect of Pregnancy on Quantitative Medication Use and Relation to Exacerbations in Asthma

BACKGROUND

The quantification of asthma medication reduction and its relation to an aggravation of asthma during pregnancy at an individual level are unclear.

METHODS

We conducted a nationwide retrospective cohort study of asthmatic pregnant women in South Korea. All of the asthma medications were ranked from 1 to 4 according to the guideline-based stepwise approach. We assessed the daily sums of the ranks of the asthma medications and their association with exacerbations during three phases based on the individual's delivery date: before, during, and after pregnancy.

RESULTS

The study cohort included 115,169 asthmatic pregnant women who gave birth between 2011 and 2013. The subjects were clustered into four groups according to the daily rank sums of their asthma medication. Asthma medications were rapidly reduced at the beginning of the pregnancy and then slowly increased after delivery. Exacerbations were more frequent in the group with higher rank-sum values than in the group with lower values. Overall exacerbations were reduced during pregnancy compared to before or after delivery.

CONCLUSIONS

Asthmatic pregnant women tended to reduce their asthma medication use during pregnancy. This led to a greater number of exacerbations in a small part of the study population.

Ambient air pollution and low birth weight - are some women more vulnerable than others?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Ambient air pollution is controllable, and it is one of the greatest environmental threats to human health. Studies conducted worldwide have provided evidence that maternal exposure to ambient air pollution during pregnancy enhances the risk of low birth weight at term (TLBW, <2500g among infants born ≥37 completed weeks of gestation), a maker of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), and suggest that some subgroups of pregnant women who are smoking, of low or high body-mass index (BMI), low socioeconomic status (SES) or asthma are more vulnerable towards the effect of ambient air pollution. The aim of this commentary is to review the published literature on the association between ambient air pollution and TLBW regarding increased vulnerability for the above-mentioned subgroups.

RESULTS

Although more than fifty epidemiological studies have examined the associations between ambient air pollution and TLBW to date, we only identified six studies that examined the potential effect modification of the association between ambient air pollution and TLBW by the above listed maternal risk factors. Two studies assessed effect modification caused by smoking on the association between ambient air pollution and TLBW. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for TLBW associated with exposure to ambient air pollution were in one study higher among women who smoked during pregnancy, as compared to the OR of non-smoking women, while in the other study the association was in the opposite direction. The association of ambient air pollution and TLBW were higher among women characterized by extreme BMI (two studies) and low SES compared to non-obese women or women of higher SES (four studies), respectively. Only one study reported the estimated effects among asthmatic and non-asthmatic women and no statistically significant effect modification was evident for the risk of TLBW associated with ambient air pollution.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The current epidemiologic evidence is scarce, but suggests that pregnant women who are smoking, being underweight, overweight/obese or having lower SES are a vulnerable subpopulation when exposed to ambient air pollution, with and increased risk of having a child with TLBW. The limited evidence precludes for definitive conclusions and further studies are recommended.

Fetal Exposure to Montelukast and Congenital Anomalies: A Population Based Study in Denmark

BACKGROUND

The objective was to study pregnancy outcomes between groups of Danish women, with pregnancy ending between 1998 and 2009, according to their exposure to montelukast.

METHODS

Cross-sectional observational study in Danish women, selecting live births and stillbirths (Birth Registry) and spontaneous abortions and induced terminations (Patient Registry). Montelukast exposure was obtained from the Prescription Registry (ATC code R03DC03). Exposure period was from 3 months before the last menstrual period until the end of the first trimester. Four groups were studied: (1) women with prescription for montelukast, (2) women with prescription for montelukast and other anti-asthmatic medications, (3) women with prescription for other anti-asthmatic medications, (4) women without prescription for any anti-asthmatic medications.

RESULTS

A total of 754,300 singleton pregnancies (> 12 weeks) were identified: 401 pregnancies in group 1, 426 pregnancies in group 2, 24878 in group 3 and 728,595 in group 4. Risk of preterm birth, maternal preeclampsia and gestational diabetes was increased for pregnancies exposed to montelukast. No significant differences were found for the risk of major congenital anomalies (CA). Adjusted odds ratio for CA was 1.4 (95% CI 0.9-2.3) for the group 1 and 1.0 (95% CI 0.6-1.8) for group 2.

CONCLUSION

Pregnant women with prescriptions for montelukast had a higher risk of preterm birth and maternal complications. These risks are known to be associated with maternal asthma, no increased risk of CA was found. Further analysis including more exposed pregnancies will be needed to determine the risk of specific CA. Birth Defects Research 109:452-459, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Obstetric medical care in the United States of America

The current models of obstetric medical care utilized in the United States, how those models fit in with the overall care system, and ways to increase the role of obstetric internists will be reviewed.

Prescription of asthma medications before and during pregnancy in France: An observational drug study using the EFEMERIS database

OBJECTIVE

Asthma affects between 3% to 8% of pregnant women. Previous studies have suggested that women's prescriptions for asthma medications change during pregnancy. The aim was to describe the prescription of asthma medications before and during pregnancy in France.

METHODS

Women from the EFEMERIS, a French database assessing the drugs prescribed, dispensed and reimbursed during pregnancy, delivering between July 2004 and December 2012, were included. Women, who were dispensed asthma medications on at least two dates from 3 months prior to pregnancy through delivery, were considered.

RESULTS

2,977 women out of 69,205 (4%) were selected. They were prescribed 2.4 ± 1.2 different anti-asthmatic drugs with 3.5 ± 2.7 different dispensing dates. Almost 62% of the women were dispensed at least one prescription for short-acting β2-agonist (SABA), 63% at least one inhaled corticosteroid (IC), 42% a fixed-combination of an IC and a long-acting β2-agonist (LABA) and 8% a LABA. An increase in SABA and IC prescriptions and a decrease in fixed-combination prescriptions were observed during pregnancy compared to pre-pregnancy period. A rapid drop in prescriptions for montelukast was observed. Among the 1,507 women who were prescribed asthma medication before pregnancy, one third had a drop in dispensed asthma medications from the beginning of pregnancy.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of dispensed asthma medications varies during pregnancy. There is a decrease in the prescriptions of fixed-combinations during pregnancy and an increase in the prescriptions of ICs. It appears important to study the potential impact of such changes on fetuses and newborns.

Enrolment in an Asthma Management Program during Pregnancy and Adherence with Inhaled Corticosteroids: The 'Management of Asthma during Pregnancy' Program

BACKGROUND

Poor adherence with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) is a major problem in asthma and according to previous studies not least during pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE

Our aim was to assess if enrolment in an asthma management program, and by that close monitoring, can improve self-reported and documented adherence with ICS in pregnant women with asthma.

METHODS

Pregnant women with doctor-diagnosed asthma, currently being prescribed ICS, referred during a 12-month period to the outpatient respiratory clinic, were consecutively included in the study. They had follow-up visits every 4 weeks during pregnancy. Asthma control was assessed according to GINA guidelines. Self-reported adherence was compared to documented adherence, defined as medical possession rate (MPR), calculated on the basis of filled prescriptions (data from each individuals' medication profile at www.fmk-online.dk).

RESULTS

A total of 130 women fulfilled the inclusion criteria, but at the initial visit, 16 women reported no current use of ICS, and the analyses are therefore based on 114 patients. Self-reported adherence to ICS was significantly higher during pregnancy than before pregnancy (73 and 52%, respectively, reporting good adherence; p < 0.001). The actual adherence, i.e. MPR, was also higher during pregnancy than before (46 vs. 28%, p < 0.0001). In keeping with this, an overall improvement was also observed in asthma control. Of the women with a low pre-pregnancy MPR, 71% had moderate or good adherence (MPR) during pregnancy. Self-reported adherence was significantly correlated with MPR during pregnancy (p = 0.004) but not before pregnancy (p = 0.46). At the 3-month postpartum visit, adherence was close to the pre-pregnancy level.

CONCLUSION

Enrolment in an asthma management program during pregnancy seems to improve adherence with controller medication, but self-reported adherence is not a valid measure for actual adherence in patients with asthma.

Asthma in pregnancy: association between the Asthma Control Test and the Global Initiative for Asthma classification and comparisons with spirometry

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to identify a possible association between the assessment of clinical asthma control using the Asthma Control Test (ACT) and the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) classification and to perform comparisons with values of spirometry.

STUDY DESIGN

Through this cross-sectional study, 103 pregnant women with asthma were assessed in the period from October 2010 to October 2013 in the asthma pregnancy clinic at the Clinical Hospital of the Federal University of Pernambuco. Questionnaires concerning the level of asthma control were administered using the Global Initiative for Asthma classification, the Asthma Control Test validated for asthmatic expectant mothers and spirometry; all three methods of assessing asthma control were performed during the same visit between the twenty-first and twenty-seventh weeks of pregnancy.

RESULTS

There was a significant association between clinical asthma control assessment using the Asthma Control Test and the Global Initiative for Asthma classification (p<0.001). There were also significant associations between the results of the subjective instruments of asthma (the GINA classification and the ACT) and evidence of lung function by spirometry.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that both the Global Initiative for Asthma classification and the Asthma Control Test can be used for asthmatic expectant mothers to assess the clinical control of asthma, especially at the end of the second trimester, which is assumed to be the period of worsening asthma exacerbations during pregnancy. We highlight the importance of the Asthma Control Test as a subjective instrument with easy application, easy interpretation and good reproducibility that does not require spirometry to assess the level of asthma control and can be used in the primary care of asthmatic expectant mothers.

Asthma and obesity: is weight reduction the key to achieve asthma control?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Obesity has significant negative impact on asthma control and risk of exacerbations. The purpose of this review is to discuss recent studies evaluating the effects of weight reduction on asthma control in obese adults.

RECENT FINDINGS

Clinical studies have shown that weight reduction in obese patients is associated with improvements in symptoms, use of controller medication, and asthma-related quality of life together with a reduction in the risk for severe exacerbations. Furthermore, several studies have also revealed improvements in lung function and airway responsiveness, and more recently it has been shown that weight reduction following bariatric surgery has positive impact on small airway function, systemic inflammation and bronchial inflammation in this group of patients, which may explain the observed improvements in symptom control and lung function.

SUMMARY

Weight reduction in obese adults with asthma leads to an overall improvement in asthma control, including airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation. Weight reduction should be a cornerstone in the management of obese patients with asthma.

Managing asthma in pregnancy

Asthma is a common comorbidity during pregnancy and its prevalence is increasing in the community. Exacerbations are a major clinical problem during pregnancy with up to 45% of women needing to seek medical help, resulting in poor outcomes for mothers and their babies, including low birth weight and preterm delivery. The goals of effective asthma management in pregnancy are to maintain the best possible asthma control and prevent exacerbations. This is achieved by aiming to prevent day- and night-time symptoms, and maintain lung function and normal activity. In addition, maintaining fetal oxygenation is an important consideration in pregnancy. Guidelines recommend providing asthma advice and review prior to conception, and managing asthma actively during pregnancy, with regular 4-weekly review, provision of a written action plan, use of preventer medications as indicated for other adults with asthma, and management of comorbid conditions such as rhinitis. Improvements have been made in recent years in emergency department management of asthma in pregnancy, and multidisciplinary approaches are being proposed to optimise both asthma outcomes and perinatal outcomes. One strategy that has demonstrated success in reducing exacerbations in pregnancy is treatment adjustment using a marker of eosinophilic lung inflammation, the exhaled nitric oxide fraction (F eNO). The use of an algorithm that adjusted inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) according to F eNO and added long-acting β-agonists when symptoms remained uncontrolled resulted in fewer exacerbations, more women on ICS but at lower mean doses, and improved infant respiratory health at 12 months of age. Further evidence is needed to determine whether this strategy can also improve perinatal outcomes and be successfully translated into clinical practice.

KEY POINTS

Asthma is the most common chronic disease to affect pregnant women.Exacerbations occur in up to 45% of pregnant women with asthma.Asthma should be managed during pregnancy as for other adults.Treatment adjustment using a marker of airway inflammation reduces the exacerbation rate in pregnancy.

EDUCATIONAL AIMS

To identify the goals of and steps associated with effective asthma management in pregnancy.To understand the maternal and perinatal risks associated with asthma during pregnancy.To describe a management strategy that has been shown to reduce exacerbations in pregnant women with asthma.

Pharmacotherapy options to treat asthma during pregnancy

INTRODUCTION

Pregnancy may be complicated by new onset or pre-existing asthma. This article reviews the recognition and management of asthma during pregnancy, paying close attention to the general principles of asthma medication use during pregnancy. Asthma is one of the most common potentially serious medical problems to complicate pregnancy, and asthma may adversely affect both maternal quality of life and perinatal outcomes. Therefore, optimal management of asthma during pregnancy is important for both mother and baby. This article reviews asthma pharmacotherapy during pregnancy, with an emphasis on gestational safety of commonly used medications.

AREAS COVERED

In this review of asthma pharmacotherapy during pregnancy, the most pertinent recent publications are reported. Electronic databases such as PubMed were searched for terms pregnan* or perinat* or obstet* and asthma or wheeze and treatment.

EXPERT OPINION

Although retrospective data have been reassuring, since pregnant women are generally excluded from clinical trials, there is a lack of adequate safety information for most medications taken during pregnancy. One of the most important needs for the future is the availability of further safety information for asthma medications used during pregnancy that can also account for asthma control.

Asthma in pregnancy: Physiology, diagnosis, and management

Asthma is a common, potentially serious, medical condition that affects an estimated 8% of pregnant patients, with 4% of all pregnant patients experiencing an exacerbation in the past year. Practitioners must be able to diagnose, educate, and treat such patients as they undergo significant physiological and immunologic change. But staying current can be challenging given over 3000 citations for "asthma and pregnancy" in a recent PubMed search, with 750 described as review articles. Patients have even more difficulty navigating information, with 29 million Google search results for this same query and 1.2 million alone for the question whether asthma medications are safe during pregnancy. This review provides brief answers to important management questions followed by supporting background literature.

Investigating Women's Experiences of Asthma Care in Pregnancy: A Qualitative Study

Background : Most asthmatic women have normal pregnancies and complications are infrequent when their asthma is well-controlled. Symptom control and medical treatment are concerning to pregnant asthma suffers, as is the impact that their illness and treatment might have on their unborn baby. The aim was to investigate in a qualitative study the thoughts and feelings of women's experiences of asthma in pregnancy. Twenty-two women with asthma who had a pregnancy within two years were asked to participate. Seven women were interviewed when data saturation was achieved. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using the 'Framework' Method, independently analysed by two researchers and consensus reached concerning the construction of themes. The key themes that emerged were Asthma and pregnancy; Pregnancy and post-natal experiences; and Health professionals. These findings are globally interesting because of the prevalence of maternal asthma and they illustrate participants' experiences concerning their asthma care and their views on its improvement. Pregnant asthmatic women have concerns about their care and treatment which might be alleviated by outreach, joint working between respiratory doctors and nurse specialists, midwives and General Practice nurses. Targeted educational activities could form a part of this care delivery.

Asthma in pregnancy

Asthma affects approximately 8% of women during pregnancy. Pregnancy results in a variable course for asthma control, likely contributed to by physiological changes affecting the respiratory, immune, and hormonal systems. While asthma during pregnancy has been associated with an increased risk of maternal and fetal complications including malformations, available data also suggest that active asthma management and monitoring can decrease the risk of adverse outcomes. The diagnosis, disease classification, and goals for asthma management in the pregnant woman are the same as for nonpregnant patients. However, evidence shows that pregnant asthmatics are more likely to be undertreated, resulting in asthma exacerbations occurring in approximately one third and hospitalization in one tenth of patients. Pharmacotherapeutic management of asthma exacerbations in pregnant patients follows standard treatment guidelines. In contrast, the principles of asthma maintenance therapy are slightly modified in the pregnant patient. Patients and practitioners may avoid use of asthma medications due to concern for a risk of fetal complications and malformations. A variable amount of information is available regarding the risk of a given asthma medication to cause adverse fetal outcomes, and it is preferable to use an inhaled product. Nevertheless, based on available data, the majority of asthma medications are regarded as safe for use during pregnancy. And, any increased risk to either the mother or fetus from medication use appears to be small compared to that associated with poor asthma control.

Safety of therapeutic options for treating asthma in pregnancy

INTRODUCTION

Pregnancy may be complicated by new onset or preexisting asthma. Asthma is one of the most common potentially serious medical problems to complicate pregnancy, and it may adversely affect both maternal quality of life and perinatal outcomes. Optimal management of asthma during pregnancy is thus important for both mother and baby.

AREAS COVERED

This article reviews the recognition and management of asthma during pregnancy, paying close attention to the general principles of asthma medication use during pregnancy. Further, the article reviews the safety of asthma medications commonly used during pregnancy. In this article, the most pertinent recent publications are reported. Electronic databases, such as PUBMED, were searched for terms pregnan* or perinat* or obstet* and asthma or wheeze and treatment.

EXPERT OPINION

Because pregnant women are generally excluded from clinical trials, there is a lack of adequate safety information for most medications taken during pregnancy. One of the most important requirements for the future is the availability of further safety information for asthma medications used during pregnancy that can also account for asthma control.

The safety of asthma medications during pregnancy: an update for clinicians

Pregnancy may be complicated by new onset or preexisting asthma. This article reviews the recognition and management of asthma during pregnancy, as well as general principles of asthma medication use during pregnancy.

Neonatal health of infants born to mothers with asthma

BACKGROUND

Maternal asthma is associated with serious pregnancy complications, but newborn morbidity is understudied.

OBJECTIVE

We wanted to determine whether infants of asthmatic mothers have more neonatal complications.

METHODS

The Consortium on Safe Labor (2002-2008), a retrospective cohort, included 223,512 singleton deliveries at ≥ 23 weeks' gestation. Newborns of mothers with asthma (n = 17,044) were compared with newborns of women without asthma by using logistic regression models with generalized estimating equations to calculate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs. Electronic medical record data included gestational week at delivery, birth weight, resuscitation, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, NICU length of stay, hyperbilirubinemia, respiratory distress syndrome, apnea, sepsis, anemia, transient tachypnea of the newborn, infective pneumonia, asphyxia, intracerebral hemorrhage, seizure, cardiomyopathy, periventricular or intraventricular hemorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis, aspiration, retinopathy of prematurity, and perinatal mortality.

RESULTS

Preterm delivery was associated with maternal asthma for each week after 33 completed weeks of gestation and not earlier. Maternal asthma also increased the adjusted odds of small for gestational age (OR = 1.10; 95% CI, 1.05-1.16), NICU admission (OR = 1.12; 95% CI, 1.07-1.17), hyperbilirubinemia (OR = 1.09; 95% CI, 1.04-1.14), respiratory distress syndrome (OR = 1.09; 95% CI, 1.01-1.19), transient tachypnea of the newborn (OR = 1.10; 95% CI, 1.02-1.19), and asphyxia (OR = 1.34; 95% CI, 1.03-1.75). Findings persisted for term infants (≥ 37 weeks) who had additional increased odds of intracerebral hemorrhage (OR = 1.84; 95% CI, 1.11-3.03) and anemia (OR = 1.30; 95% CI, 1.04-1.62).

CONCLUSIONS

Maternal asthma was associated with prematurity and small for gestational age. Adverse neonatal outcomes, including respiratory complications, hyperbilirubinemia, and NICU admission, were increased in association with maternal asthma even among term deliveries.

Asthma in pregnancy: management strategies

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Asthma is one of the most prevalent chronic medical conditions to complicate pregnancy. With approximately one-third of women experiencing a worsening of control during the course of their pregnancy, identifying those at greatest risk has the potential to improve maternal and fetal outcomes for a large number of pregnancies. Similarly, active management strategies that prioritize asthma control in this vulnerable population can have a far-reaching impact.

RECENT FINDINGS

Demographic characteristics and patient noncompliance place certain populations of pregnant women at increased risk of poor asthma control during pregnancy. In addition, undertreatment and disparities in care of acute exacerbations during pregnancy likely contribute. Targeted educational interventions and treatment algorithms using objective markers of disease activity have shown improved outcomes in asthma control.

SUMMARY

Active management strategies which focus on identifying patient-specific risk factors, patient and provider education, and targeted treatment interventions can improve asthma care for women during pregnancy.

The poorly explored impact of uncontrolled asthma

The goal of asthma management is to achieve disease control; however, despite the availability of effective and safe medications, for many patients asthma remains uncontrolled. One reason for this is the fear of long-term side effects from the regular use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs). Adverse effects of poorly controlled asthma (for example, obesity, pneumonia, and risks to the fetus) can be perceived as side effects of ICSs. Poorly controlled asthma adversely affects children's cardiovascular fitness, while children with well-controlled asthma perform at the same level as their peers. Children with uncontrolled asthma also have a higher frequency of obesity than children with controlled asthma. Stress can affect asthma control, and children with poorly controlled asthma are more likely to have learning disabilities compared with those with good control. In adults, focused attention and concentration are negatively affected in patients with untreated asthma, and patients with asthma are at greater risk for depression. Also, poorly controlled asthma increases the risks of severe asthma exacerbations following upper respiratory and pneumococcal pulmonary infections. ICSs used to improve asthma control have been demonstrated to improve all of these outcomes. Lastly, the risks of uncontrolled asthma during pregnancy are substantially greater than the risks of recommended asthma medications. Treatments to maintain asthma control are the best approach to optimize maternal and fetal health in the pregnancies of women with asthma. The maintenance of asthma control has significant advantages to patients and greatly outweighs the potential risks of treatment side effects.

Does drug compliance change in asthmatic patients during pregnancy?

Background

Pregnant women with asthma are recommended to maintain optimal therapeutic management during pregnancy. Uncontrolled, symptomatic asthma may increase the risk of adverse peri-natal outcomes; thus adequate regular anti-asthmatic treatment must be given to provide optimal asthma control during pregnancy. However, doubts about the safety of asthmatic drugs can affect pregnant asthmatic patients’ drug compliance. The aim of this study was to assess behavioral differences in drug compliance among pregnant asthmatic patients.

Methods

Thirty two asthmatic and 121 healthy pregnant women were enrolled in the study. Structured face-to-face interviews were conducted after delivery. The interviews included disease characteristics, drug compliance and patients’ own perspective for asthma status prior to and during pregnancy. In addition, medical and pregnancy history, pregnancy complications and outcomes, and newborn characteristics were recorded.

Results

In our study group the rates of hospitalization, emergency room visits and systemic steroid use in the year before pregnancy were 13%, 46.9% and 18.8%, respectively. The rate of regular asthma medication use was only 32% at that period and increased to 44% during pregnancy. However, hospitalization, emergency room visits, systemic steroid usage rates remained unchanged and according to patients’ own evaluations, 44% of asthmatics pointed out that their asthma had worsened during pregnancy. No statistically significant difference was detected in terms of pregnancy/labour complication between asthmatic and non-asthmatics.

Conclusions

Contrary to some previous studies, in our study regular use of asthma drugs increased during pregnancy. The uncontrolled condition of their asthma before and during pregnancy and the idea that their asthma worsened during pregnancy might force the patients to use medication more regularly.

Validation of an algorithm to estimate gestational age in electronic health plan databases

PURPOSE

To validate an algorithm that uses delivery date and diagnosis codes to define gestational age at birth in electronic health plan databases.

METHODS

Using data from 225,384 live born deliveries to women aged 15-45 years in 2001-2007 within eight of the 11 health plans participating in the Medication Exposure in Pregnancy Risk Evaluation Program, we compared (1) the algorithm-derived gestational age versus the "gold-standard" gestational age obtained from the infant birth certificate file and (2) the prenatal exposure status of two antidepressants (fluoxetine and sertraline) and two antibiotics (amoxicillin and azithromycin) as determined by the algorithm-derived versus the gold-standard gestational age.

RESULTS

The mean algorithm-derived gestational age at birth was lower than the mean obtained from the birth certificate file among singleton deliveries (267.9 vs 273.5 days) but not among multiple-gestation deliveries (253.9 vs 252.6 days). The algorithm-derived prenatal exposure to the antidepressants had a sensitivity and a positive predictive value of ≥95%, and a specificity and a negative predictive value of almost 100%. Sensitivity and positive predictive value were both ≥90%, and specificity and negative predictive value were both >99% for the antibiotics.

CONCLUSIONS

A gestational age algorithm based upon electronic health plan data correctly classified medication exposure status in most live born deliveries, but trimester-specific misclassification may be higher for drugs typically used for short durations.

Relationship between changes in inhaled corticosteroid use and markers of uncontrolled asthma during pregnancy

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To describe changes in inhaled corticosteroid use during pregnancy and markers of uncontrolled asthma, and to evaluate the association between them.

DESIGN

Population-based, cross-sectional study.

DATA SOURCE

Three administrative claims databases in Québec, Canada.

PATIENTS

A cohort of 4434 asthmatic women (4920 pregnancies) who delivered their infants between 1990 and 2002 and who used inhaled corticosteroids before their pregnancy.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

The average daily doses of inhaled corticosteroids during pregnancy and during the 9 months before conception were compared; the change in use was categorized as discontinuation (reduction of ≥75%), reduction (26-75% reduction), no change (±25% change), or increase (increase of ≥25%). The markers of uncontrolled asthma included at least one asthma exacerbation and the use of three or more doses/week of a short-acting β(2) -agonist during pregnancy. Generalized estimating equation models were used for statistical analyses. In nearly 50% of the pregnancies (2388 [48.5%] of 4920), the women either stopped or reduced their doses of corticosteroid during pregnancy, and these doses were already quite low before pregnancy. The proportion of women who had an asthma exacerbation during pregnancy was 8.2% among women who discontinued corticosteroids and greater than 20% in all of the other groups. All of the groups used frequent doses of short-acting β(2) -agonists. Discontinuing inhaled corticosteroid use during pregnancy was associated with a lower risk of exacerbations (odds ratio [OR] 0.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.33-0.54), whereas increasing inhaled corticosteroid use was associated with a higher risk (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.17-1.72), compared with no change in use.

CONCLUSION

Because of residual confounding by asthma severity, our study was not able to show that women who stopped inhaled corticosteroids during pregnancy were at increased risk of having an asthma exacerbation. However, women who stopped corticosteroids tended to have a milder form of asthma, which is reassuring and suggests that women can recognize, to a certain extent, the need to continue taking their controller agents if necessary.