Asthma is one of the common ailments that pregnant women experience. This is the problem to those who already have the condition as well as to those who have not experienced it before. There are many factors that can trigger asthma attacks such as inhalation of plant pollens, dust, and even stress.

Asthma during pregnancy is a very dangerous situation because the disease has the potential to cut back the oxygen supply for the body and for the baby. However, if one is able to keep asthma under control, there is a great chance that one will have a safe delivery. But it is important that one should be able to keep asthma under control.

Asthma Complications During Pregnancy

The problem with asthma is that sometimes most people usually neglect a condition that may foretell the occurrence of asthma. As such, shortness of breath and wheezing during pregnancy are sometimes ignored with the woman unaware that it is already a sign of asthma. An uncontrolled asthma poses the following risks to a pregnant woman:

1)One common complication from asthma is having labor that does not occur naturally. This may be induced or started by the doctor to avoid having complications during natural labor while under asthma attack. Nonetheless, despite the fact that the procedure is known to save a woman from complications, the procedure itself is complicated and brings with it a lot of risks.

2)A woman may suffer from vomiting that is more than in normal cases especially during the early parts of pregnancy.

3)A pregnant woman may suffer from high blood pressure as a complication arising from asthma. In turn, high blood pressure may cause various other complications that can put the pregnancy to a severe test.

4)Another complication that a pregnant woman may suffer from is pre-eclampsia. This condition can cause kidney and liver problems and can potentially affect the brain.

On the other hand, the asthma complications to the baby include the following:

1)There is the possible death of the baby immediately before or after birth due to either lack of oxygen supply or other abnormalities related to asthma.

2)There is an abnormal growth of the fetus due to retardation. As a result, the baby has a low birth weight and appears small at birth.

3)There is also the risk of preterm birth or birth occurring before the 37th week of pregnancy.

Measures to Be Undertaken for Asthma During Pregnancy

The main mode of treatment for asthma during pregnancy is to monitor the lung function all throughout the period of pregnancy. This is to make sure that the fetus will get enough supply of oxygen and retardation of its growth will be avoided. To monitor lung function, a doctor uses a peak flow meter to measure the amount of air that enters the lungs.

One must avoid known asthma triggers such as tobacco smoke, dust, and other pollutants. Ultrasound after the 32nd week of pregnancy is also important to monitor fetal growth.