Women with asthma are 17 per cent more likely to develop pre-eclampsia, new research reveals.
They are also at a raised risk of having a cesarean section, underweight baby and short pregnancy, a study found.
The study did not discuss why asthma increases women’s chance of suffering certain pregnancy complications, however, previous research suggests it may be due to the steroid medications patients are often prescribed.
Lead author Dr Gustaf Rejnö from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, said: ‘Asthma causes these complications.This means that well-controlled asthma during pregnancy could reduce the relative incidence of complications during pregnancy and childbirth.’
Pre-eclampsia affects up to six per cent of pregnant women in the UK and is defined as raised blood pressure and the presence of protein in urine. Although complications are rare, the condition can cause stroke in mothers and slow growth in babies if untreated.
