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Asthma Attacks and Pregnancy
Could Asthma Attacks During the First Trimester Put Baby at Risk?
By Teri Brown
Why is uncontrolled asthma dangerous? The first trimester is a time of rapid development for the fetus. When a pregnant woman has an asthma attack during this crucial period, both the mother and the fetus can experience a drop in the level of oxygen in their blood. This can be problematic as the fetus needs a consistent supply of blood for normal growth and survival.
According to Dr. Chiu, the most common birth defects were musculoskeletal abnormalities followed by cardiac defects.
Lynda Vernalia from Westford, Mass., was diagnosed with asthma long before she had children, but a rescue inhaler handled most issues. As she soon discovered, however, pregnancy may worsen asthma symptoms.
"My doctor said I should use it as needed when I got pregnant, that it was fine," Vernalia says. "During my first pregnancy, I was more sensitive to everything. I was only on the rescue inhaler (Albuterol). However, it became useless as the pregnancy wore on; it just stopped doing its job."
One day Vernalia had an attack so bad she had to skip work and visit an allergist. The doctor ended up prescribing a long-acting inhaler, which finally alleviated her symptoms.
"After the birth of my daughter my [primary care provider] suggested I stay on the long acting inhaler, which I have," Vernalia says. "My asthma issues did ease off after the birth. The long acting inhaler made the second pregnancy much easier and I used that the whole pregnancy."
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