ASTHMA IN PREGNANCY

This manuscript is a summary of a comprehensive report dealing with as thma and pregnancy issued by the working group on Asthma and Pregnancy , National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The report was developed by a panel of obstetricians, phar macologists, internists, allergists, and pulmonologists, who met over an 18-month period under the auspices of the NIH. Undertreatment of pr egnant asthmatics, partially because of unfounded fears of adverse pha rmacologic effects on the developing fetus, remains the major problem in the management of asthma during pregnancy in the United States. The four key components of asthma management during pregnancy are: 1) obj ective assessment of maternal lung function and fetal well-being, 2) a voidance or control of environmental precipitating factors, 3) pharmac ologic therapy, and 4) patient education.