2. Introduction
■ Asthma is a chronic disease involving the airways in the lungs.
■ These airways or bronchial tubes allow air to come in and out of the lungs.
■ It may be due to airway inflammation hence poor air passage hence coughing,
wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness.
■ At pregnancy stage of a woman, the foetus in the womb depends on the
oxygen that the mother breaths.
■ The implant of an asthma exacerbation lack of enough oxygen to the
developing foetus hence great danger.
■ It then implies that women should manage asthma with prescribed medication
even in pregnancy unless clinically contraindicated.
3. Symptoms
■ There are general symptoms of asthma but different pregnant women may
manifest differently either severely or lesser.
4. Risk Factor
■ Respiratory infections such as cold, flu, bronchitis . Both bacterial and viral infections.
■ Cigarette smoking.
■ Gastroesophageal reflux disease.
■ Smoke from cooking or wood fire.
■ Emotionally upset.
■ Food allergy.
■ Allergic rhinitis.
■ Weather change especially cold.
■ Exercise.
■ Strong smell, spray, perfume, allergic reactions to certain chemicals.
5. Risk of Anaemia Pregnancy
■ Premature birth.
■ Low birth weight.
■ Still birth.
■ Hypertension in pregnancy.
6. Classification of Asthma Severity
■ Mild – occurs for 2 days, a week, ≥ 80% FEV.
■ Moderate – occurs daily with 60-80% FEV.
■ Severe – Occurs daily with less than 60% FEV.
7. Management of Chronic Asthma
during Pregnancy.
■ Patient education.
■ Environmental precipitating factors – avoidance and control.
■ Objective assessment of pulmonary and foetal wellbeing – monitor FEV.
■ Pharmacological therapy.
8. Step wise Therapy of Chronic Asthma
During Pregnancy
■ Mild intermittent – inhale as needed.
■ Mild persistent – low dose inhaled corticosteroids.
■ Moderate persistent – low dose inhaled corticosteroids and lung acting.
■ Severe persistent – high dose inhaled corticosteroids, lung acting and oral
steroids if needed.
