Asthma in the mother The following risks to the child

Careful medical observation against a wide range of possible subsequent diseases

08/05/2013

Researchers from the Universities of Basel and Bochum have recently published a study in the specialist journal "Pediatrics" with colleagues from Switzerland, the USA and Denmark. It was about women in pregnancy who suffer from asthma. For example, it was found that the offspring in the longer term an increased risk for a variety of diseases. The data were based on more than 66,000 pregnant women. About 8 percent of all women of childbearing age suffer from asthma. Often, the disease only occurs during pregnancy.

The question arises as to whether long-term consequences for the child's health can be expected. A research group led by Marion Tegethoff and Gunther Meinlschmidt at the Faculty of Psychology of the University of Basel has investigated this question.

Working with colleagues from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and the Universities of Los Angeles and Aarhus, the researchers analyzed the data from pregnant women in Denmark and found that children of mothers with asthma during pregnancy are at higher risk for various types of cancer Diseases wore as children of asthma-free mothers. For example, for infectious diseases or diseases of the nervous system, the ear, the respiratory system and the skin. Thus, researchers recognize the need for careful medical observation of mothers and children when asthma occurs during pregnancy. It is important to keep an eye on the child's health and to further investigate it.

Influences on the pregnancy
Most negative influences can be reduced to the pregnancy. There is a slightly increased complication rate for pre-eclampsia in women with asthma, which is hypertension with protein in the urine. Reduced birth weight and premature births could also occur

The normal pregnant woman has an increased respiratory rate during a normal pregnancy. This changes the blood acid values, which is called alkalosis. Too few "acidic" substances are dissolved in the blood. Other problems are attributed to treatment of long-term and high dose cortisone use. This includes, for example, an increased number of small, growth-reduced children. The cause should be reduced by cortisone growth hormone secretion and insulin production. A growth delay is accompanied by an increase in mortality. In addition, the rate of premature births is expected to increase slightly with this drug.

Therapy during pregnancy
Asthma in pregnancy is still the most common lung disease in pregnant women, but also the one that can best be treated. If the condition is well-adjusted with medication, it is not associated with an increased risk to the child and the course of pregnancy. The basis of the therapy should be based on three pillars: the cell stabilizers (chromoglycic acid derivatives), the beta2-mimetics and the cortisone as metered dose inhaler. Whether a therapy makes sense and is recommended, one learns after an examination at the doctor. (Fr)

Picture: Katrin Schindler