Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Asthma is the most frequent chronic disease that can complicate pregnancy, with a prevalence of approximately 13% worldwide. The use of asthma medications during pregnancy is recommended by international guidelines to achieve disease control. Women newly diagnosed with asthma prior to pregnancy might be able to incorporate medication use into their routine and persist after becoming pregnant. Women newly diagnosed with asthma during pregnancy may be less likely to use asthma medications due to fear of adverse effects or may be prescribed sub-optimal treatments due to physicians' fear of starting a new therapy during pregnancy. To date, no studies have evaluated the association between the timing of 'new-onset' asthma and asthma medication use during pregnancy. To address this knowledge gap, my study aimed to assess whether asthma medication use during pregnancy differs in women newly diagnosed with asthma during pregnancy compared to women newly diagnosed with asthma prior to pregnancy. We analyzed a large sample of pregnant women aged 15 to 45 years with new-onset asthma at any point in time 2 years prior to pregnancy or in the first 19 weeks of pregnancy. Asthma medication use during pregnancy was defined as filling at least 1 prescription starting 20 weeks of pregnancy (Cohort entry) until delivery considering the last filled prescription during 3 months prior to cohort entry. Newly diagnosed asthma during pregnancy is associated with more use of asthma medications compared to newly diagnosed asthma prior to pregnancy. Asthma diagnosed during pregnancy might be of a different phenotype and more likely to be severe in nature requiring more use of asthma medications. Women with asthma diagnosed prior to pregnancy might step-down in therapy during pregnancy once asthma control is sustained. This study can be used as an impetus for the development of an educational intervention to screen for asthma and initiate the appropriate therapy to reduce perinatal outcomes.