Background Asthma is a common condition during pregnancy and may be associated with adverse perinatal outcomes.Objective This meta-analysis sought to establish if maternal asthma is associated with an increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes, and to determine the size of these effects.Search strategy Electronic databases were searched for the following terms: (asthma or wheeze) and (pregnan* or perinat* or obstet*).Selection criteria Cohort studies published between 1975 and March 2009 were considered for inclusion. Studies were included if they reported at least one perinatal outcome in pregnant women with and without asthma.Data collection and analysis A total of 103 articles were identified, and of these 40 publications involving 1 637 180 subjects were included. Meta-analysis was conducted with subgroup analyses by study design and active asthma management.Main results Maternal asthma was associated with an increased risk of low birthweight (RR 1.46, 95% CI 1.22-1.75), small for gestational age (RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.14-1.31), preterm delivery (RR 1.41, 95% CI 1.22-1.61) and pre-eclampsia (RR 1.54, 95% CI 1.32-1.81). The relative risk of preterm delivery and preterm labour were reduced to non-significant levels by active asthma management (RR 1.07, 95% CI 0.91-1.26 for preterm delivery; RR 0.96, 95% CI 0.73-1.26 for preterm labour).Author's conclusions Pregnant women with asthma are at increased risk of perinatal complications, including pre-eclampsia and outcomes that affect the baby's size and timing of birth. Active asthma management with a view to reducing the exacerbation rate may be clinically useful in reducing the risk of perinatal complications, particularly preterm delivery.Keywords Asthma, meta-analysis, perinatal outcomes, pregnancy.Please cite this paper as: Murphy V, Namazy J, Powell H, Schatz M, Chambers C, Attia J, Gibson P. A meta-analysis of adverse perinatal outcomes in women with asthma.

Objective: This meta-analysis sought to establish if maternal asthma is associated with an increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes and to determine the size of these effects. Search Strategy: Electronic databases were searched for the following terms: (asthma or wheeze) and (pregnan* or perinat* or obstet*). Selection Criteria: Cohort studies published between 1975 and March 2009 were considered for inclusion. Studies were included if they reported at least one perinatal outcome in pregnant women with and without asthma. Data Collection and Analysis: 103 articles were identified, and 40 publications involving 1,637,180 subjects were included. Meta-analysis was conducted with subgroup analyses by study design and active asthma management. Main Results: Maternal asthma was associated with an increased risk of low birth weight (relative risk[RR]1.46, 95% confidence interval[

Background There is conflicting literature on the effect of maternal asthma on congenital malformations and neonatal outcomes.Objectives This review and meta-analysis sought to determine if maternal asthma is associated with an increased risk of adverse neonatal outcomes.Search strategy We searched electronic databases for: (asthma or wheeze) and (pregnan* or perinat* or obstet*). Authors' conclusions Despite limitations related to the observational nature of the primary studies, this review demonstrates a small increased risk of neonatal complications among pregnant women with asthma. Further investigations into mechanisms and potential preventive interventions to improve infant outcomes are required.Keywords Asthma, congenital anomaly, malformation, neonatal death, neonatal intensive care unit, perinatal mortality, pregnancy, stillbirth.Please cite this paper as: Murphy V, Wang G, Namazy J, Powell H, Gibson PG, Chambers C, Schatz M. The risk of congenital malformations, perinatal mortality and neonatal hospitalisation among pregnant women with asthma: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BJOG 2013;120:812-822.

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