The first question most women on asthma medications ask when they discover they're expecting a baby, is this: "Will my medicine harm my baby?"

The good news is that all common allergy and asthma medicines are known to be very safe during pregnancy. Pregnant women should be able to enjoy an asthma and allergy free pregnancy. Of course, you'll still want to sit down with your allergist to discuss the medications you're using and make sure your current treatment is right for your new situation. 

Many of the newer allergy and asthma medicines do not come with specific information about their safety during pregnancy because women who are or might become pregnant are not allowed to participate in the safety tests. No drug manufacturer wantst to take a risk with an unborn baby.

However, older asthma medications exist that have been in use for many decades, long before the thalidomide catastrophe taught us that unborn babies can especially be at risk.  Many of these older asthma treatments have been used during all stages of pregnancy and have proven to be safe to both mother and child.

In the case of newer medicines, you should avoid them in pregnancy if possible just to be on the safe side.

It's also important to be aware of the fact that pregnancy may affect the severity of your asthma. This applies across the board.  In studies, some pregnant women have experienced heightened asthma symptoms, while others have experienced an improvement or no change at all. These changes tend to occur primarily in the late second and early third trimesters, and show improvement during the last month of pregnancy.

With this in mind, if you're pregnant you need to take measures that will help you to continue to minimize your contact with those allergens, such as dust mites and animal dander, that have demonstrated a tendency to trigger your asthma. And, of course, remain in close contact with your physician to monitor your condition and alter your medications or dosages if necessary.

At A Glance

• Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that makes airways (bronchial tubes) particularly sensitive to irritants, and this is characterized by difficulty in breathing.
• Common allergy and asthma medicines are known to be very safe during pregnancy.
• As a result, pregnant women should be able to enjoy an asthma and allergy free pregnancy.