Maternal Breathing Complications Increase the Risk for Childhood Asthma

Maternal nocturnal cough, wheezing during pregnancy, and a family history of asthma significantly increases the risk for asthma in offspring, according to a new study.

To assess how maternal complications during pregnancy and certain prenatal exposures impact childhood asthma risk, the researchers enrolled parents/guardians of children with and without asthma upon their visit to a charity hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. During that visit, the researchers collected information on prenatal and perinatal exposures. 

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The researchers evaluated the relationship between childhood asthma, sociodemographics, maternal complications during pregnancy, access to prenatal care, and exposure to animals and pests during pregnancy. 

If the mother had symptoms of nocturnal cough and wheezing during pregnancy, the odds of childhood asthma significantly increased. The odds of childhood asthma also increased if there was a family history of asthma or hay fever. 

Prenatal exposure to rats/mice and contact with goats while pregnant was also significantly associated with childhood asthma. However, the risk for childhood asthma was reduced with prenatal exposure to cows/cattle.

“This study identified important maternal and prenatal risk factors for childhood asthma, the majority of which are avoidable,” the researchers concluded. “Appropriate steps are needed to create awareness about the prenatal risk factors in this population.”

—Colleen Murphy

Reference:

Arif AA, Veri SD. The association of prenatal risk factors with childhood asthma. J Asthma. 2019;56(10):1056-1061. doi:10.1080/02770903.2018.1515224.