Pregnancy and Childbirth - Pregnancy and Asthma: Communicating With Your Doctor

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Pregnancy and Asthma: Communicating With Your Doctor

Managing asthma in pregnancy requires special expertise. Listen to expert advice on how a woman should work with her doctors to make sure her asthma hurts neither herself nor her unborn child.

RUSSELL SETTIPANE, MD: We do know that when somebody has asthma -- and particularly when they're pregnant, one of the most important things to do is... avoid the triggers that may be contributing to the asthma such as dust mites, animal danders, mold spores; and avoid irritants, such as cigarette smoke or irritants in the workplace.

ALLAN STILLERMAN, MD: Aspirin may trigger asthma and therefore, if possible, the aspirin and aspirin-like drug should be avoided.

RUSSELL SETTIPANE, MD: One of the biggest triggers that we see are viral respiratory infections and although we can't prevent colds, we can prevent the influenza, the 'flu, with the influenza vaccine. And all pregnant asthmatics who have moderate or severe asthma should, should be given the influenza vaccine to prevent the occurrence of the 'flu during pregnancy.

ANNOUNCER: Even if a woman has had problems with asthma during her pregnancy, doctors say she'll likely be symptom-free by the time she delivers her child.

EMILY DIMANGO, MD: Worsening of asthma attacks, interestingly, is not very common during labor and delivery. In fact, after about 36 weeks of gestation, asthma seems to quiet down a bit and it is quite unusual for a pregnant woman to be having an asthma exacerbation during their labor and delivery.

MICHAEL SCHATZ, MD: Most of the data has suggested perhaps no more than one in ten asthmatic women have problems during labor and delivery, and most of those are mild and taken care of by the inhaler. It actually seems that some of the hormones circulating at that time might prevent asthma.

ANNOUNCER: Doctors say the best care requires a knowledgeable patient, and good lines of communication.

MICHAEL SCHATZ, MD: Another very important aspect of managing asthma during pregnancy is for the woman herself to really know about her asthma, what she's taking and why and to be able to communicate when things aren't going well to the physician working with her.

ANNOUNCER: Sometimes a woman's general doctor has a great deal of experience managing asthma. But specialists are always appropriate members of the health team for a pregnant woman with asthma.

MICHAEL SCHATZ, MD: For patients who have asthma more than just intermittently, I would certainly recommend working with an asthma specialist, along with the obstetrician, because I think asthma specialists working with the patient having the best chance of making sure that that asthma is going to be as well controlled as possible, with the safest type of therapy.

RUSSELL SETTIPANE, MD: If expert care is given we're going to see better management of asthma and end up with a healthier mother and baby.