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Allergy & Asthma Advocate: Summer 2008Asthma attacks early in pregnancy may cause birth defects Asthma attacks early in pregnancy put babies at greater risk of birth defects, new research suggests in the June issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI). In a study of more than 4,300 pregnancies, researchers concluded that women who had an asthma flare-up in the first three months of pregnancy were 48% more likely to have a baby with at least one congenital defect than asthmatic mothers who did not have a flare-up in the first trimester. The rate of birth defects among the children of mothers who experienced a flare-up was 12.8%, versus a rate of 8.9% for mothers with better-controlled asthma, according to study data. The findings show the need to keep asthma well-managed throughout pregnancy, but especially in the first trimester – a crucial period for fetal development. Pregnant women, like all asthma patients, should avoid common asthma triggers such as house dust mites, animal dander and smoke. To learn more about asthma and pregnancy or to find an allergist/immunologist in your area, visit www.aaaai.org. Asthmatic children in poor, urban areas are at great risk for breathing problems American children with asthma who live in poor, urban areas often have more respiratory problems, because of bad air quality in inner-city neighborhoods. Changes in air pollution levels, including motor vehicle exhaust and other pollutants, were closely associated with asthma symptoms and school absences among children in inner-city neighborhoods, according to a study published in the May issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI).  Over the two-year study, doctors followed more than 850 children with asthma living in low-income areas of seven major U.S. urban communities – Boston, the Bronx, Chicago, Dallas, New York City, Seattle and Tucson. Researchers measured regularly the children’s asthma symptoms, school absences and ability to breathe and compared this to daily outdoor pollution data. They found that asthma symptoms and asthma-related school absences increased following times with higher concentrations of pollutants, including motor vehicle emissions, sulfur dioxide and fine particulate matter. The adverse health effects were witnessed even when pollution remained below the National Ambient Air Quality Standards – the federal measure at which pollutants are considered harmful to public health. While air pollution is known to increase risk of severe asthma attacks, this new study shows adverse health effects are greater among children in poor, urban neighborhoods.
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