Managing asthma during pregnancy

Purpose Pregnant women with asthma have many concerns about their respiratory health, as well as the health of their baby. A woman's respiratory system experiences many physiological changes during pregnancy and when a diagnosis of asthma is present, the clinical effect of pregnancy on asthma is variable. Regardless of disease years, when asthma patients become pregnant, both patients and healthcare providers want to know how pregnancy affects asthma and how asthma may affect pregnancy outcomes. This article will review how to optimally manage asthma during pregnancy using an evidence-based approach that recognizes the patient's changing needs. Data sources Literature collected from sources identified through searches of PubMed and CINAHL covering the periods from 1996 to 2012. Conclusion With the implementation of evidence-based management and treatment, pregnant patients who have asthma can be positioned to better control their symptoms and avoid unwanted complications that may affect the health of their baby. Implications for practice Pregnant patients with asthma may be cared for in a variety of healthcare settings ranging from primary care to specialty care to the emergency department. Consequently, it is imperative that healthcare providers across the array of clinical venues be proficient on how to optimize the asthma outcomes of their pregnant patients.