Influence of asthma treatment during pregnancy on fetal biometry

Introduction: Proper monitoring and treatment for asthma during pregnancy avoids important maternal-fetal consequences. Controversy about the influence of steroid therapy on fetal development has been a source of several studies. Objective: To analyze the influence of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) during pregnancy in asthmatic patients on fetal biometry according to ultrasound scans. Material and Methods: A group of asthmatic pregnant women who attended a consultation on asthma and pregnancy in a tertiary center was included. We studied different factors, such as the adherence to treatment during pregnancy and fetal biometry data (biparietal diameter-BPD, abdominal circumference-AC and femur length-FL) measured by ultrasound scans at the end of pregnancy. Asthmatic women who had not required any treatment during pregnancy were included as a control group. A correlational analysis was performed to identify the relationship between two variables. Results: 43 patients with a mean age of 33.4 years (17-44) were included. The classification of asthma, according to severity, was: 47% intermittent, 25% mild persistent, 21% moderate persistent and 7% severe asthma. Mean gestational age of patients was 39 weeks. Fetal biometry measured in the third trimester showed mean FL, CA and BDP values of 68 mm, 320 mm and 88 mm respectively. Comparing these outcomes with the control group were not found statistically significant differences. Conclusions: In our study, the use of ICS in pregnancy is not related to alteration of fetal biometry. Although it must be confirmed with larger samples, our results support the safety of ICS in the management of bronchial asthma during pregnancy.