If you have not previously had asthma, you may not think that shortness of breath or wheezing during your pregnancy is asthma. If you know you have asthma, you may not consider it a concern if you only have mild symptoms. But asthma can affect you and your fetus, and you should act accordingly.
If your asthma is not controlled, risks to your health include:1
- High blood pressure during the pregnancy.
- Preeclampsia, a condition that causes high blood pressure and can affect the placenta, kidneys, liver, and brain.
- More than normal vomiting early in pregnancy (hyperemesis gravidarum).
- Labor that does not occur naturally (your doctor starts it) and may be complicated.
Risks to the fetus include:1
- Death immediately before or after birth (perinatal mortality).
- Abnormally slow growth of the fetus (intrauterine growth retardation). When born, the baby appears small.
- Birth before the 37th week of pregnancy (preterm birth).
- Low birth weight.
The more control you have over your asthma, the less risk there is.
