This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.

Multidisciplinary approach improved maternal asthma outcomes

Education and disease monitoring may improve maternal asthma outcomes in clinical practice, according to data published in the journal Chest.

“Poorly controlled asthma and asthma exacerbations during pregnancy have been shown to be associated with an increased risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, and preeclampsia,” the researchers wrote.

In a single-blind randomized controlled trial at two large maternity hospitals in Australia, investigators evaluated the Multidisciplinary Approach to Management of Maternal Asthma (MAMMA) intervention. Patients included 60 pregnant women (up to 20 weeks gestation) with asthma who used asthma medications in the previous year. They were randomly assigned an intervention or usual care, administered the Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ) and were followed throughout their pregnancy.

Data indicated that the ACQ score in the intervention group (n=29) decreased by a mean of 0.46 at 3 months and 0.89 at 6 months; the usual care group (n=29) demonstrated a mean decrease of 0.15 at 3 months and 0.18 at 6 months.

Score differences were –0.22 (95% CI, –0.54 to 0.1) at 3 months and –0.6 (95% CI, –0.85 to –0.36) at 6 months; differences were significant at 6 months (P<.001), according to data.

“Furthermore, all participants in the intervention group had an ACQ score <1.5, indicating adequately controlled asthma, as opposed to 20 of 29 participants (69%) in the [usual care group],” the researchers wrote. “No new asthma-related hospital admissions, emergency visits, or oral corticosteroid use was reported in either group during the trial.”

These findings emphasize the importance of education and disease management for pregnant patients with asthma, the investigators concluded.

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.