Pregnant Smokers With Asthma Have Increased Health Risks
News Briefs from the March Issue of CHEST
Pregnant women with asthma who smoke have an increased risk for asthma symptoms and fetal growth abnormalities. Researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina observed 2,210 pregnant women with asthma to determine the effect of active and passive household smoking on asthma severity and obstetric/neonatal outcomes. Of the women, 418 (18 percent) reported active smoking; among nonsmokers, 790 (36 percent) reported passive household smoke exposure. Results showed that active smoking was associated with an increase in total symptomatic days and nights of sleep disturbance. Among newborns of active smokers, there was a greater risk of small for gestational age and a lower mean birth weight. There were no differences in symptom exacerbation or outcome between nonsmokers with and without passive household smoke exposure. This study is published in the March issue of CHEST, the peer–reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians.
