Pregnancy FAQs

No. In general, the medicines used to treat asthma are safe in pregnancy. This includes reliever inhalers, preventer inhalers, long acting relievers, theophyllines and steroid tablets. There are more risks to both you and your baby if you do not take your medicines and your asthma becomes uncontrolled.

There is one group of asthma medicines which would not normally be started during pregnancy called leukotriene receptor antagonists (Montelukast or Zafirlukast). However if you were taking Montelukast/Zafirlukast before you became pregnant, and it is working well for your asthma, you will probably be advised by your GP to continue taking it.

Take your preventer regularly and your reliever inhaler as needed to relieve your symptoms and make an appointment to see you GP or asthma nurse as soon as possible. Your GP or asthma nurse may make some changes to your normal medicines or prescribe you a short course of steroid tablets. These are safe to use during pregnancy.

Having an asthma attack whilst pregnant is an emergency. Click here for our advice on what to do if you are having an asthma attack.

Please note – our asthma attack advice is not relevant for people on the Symbicort SMART regime who should speak to their doctor or asthma nurse for asthma attack advice.

People with asthma usually have their asthma reviewed by a doctor or asthma nurse every year however we know that during pregnancy asthma may get better, get worse or stay the same.  This can vary at different times of your pregnancy so it’s a good idea to go and see your doctor or asthma nurse to have your asthma reviewed early on in your pregnancy and then to have regular reviews during your pregnancy.

If you are pregnant it is best for you and your baby if you stop smoking and ask people to avoid smoking around you. Women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to have babies who have breathing problems, including asthma. Children whose parents smoke are 1.5 times more likely to have asthma.

Smoking while pregnant also has other harmful effects eg you are more likely to have a miscarriage and go into premature labour. If you are thinking of trying to quit visit the NHS Smokefree Websitesmokefree.nhs.uk or call the NHS Smoking Helpline

England – 0800 022 4332, Wales – 0800 169 0169, Scotland – 0800 84 84 84, Northern Ireland – 0800 85 85 85.

During pregnancy it is important to have a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables. This will help make sure that your baby gets all the nutrition it needs.

• There is no convincing evidence that avoiding any foods during pregnancy will help prevent your baby from developing asthma.
• In the past, the UK Government advised pregnant women to avoid eating peanuts. However, this guidance was revised in August 2009 following a major review of the scientific evidence. Further advice can be found on the Food Standards Agency website.

Asthma attacks during labour are very rare because your body produces extra natural steroid hormones (cortisone and adrenaline), which help to prevent asthma attacks.

If you do find yourself getting asthma symptoms during labour (eg coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, tightness in the chest), use your reliever inhaler as normal. It will not harm the baby in any way.

Talk to your doctor or midwife beforehand about drawing up a birth plan. This will take your asthma into account and can help to reduce any fears you may have about giving birth.

There are a number of different ways to control pain during labour, including pethadine and epidurals, all of which are safe for women with asthma. If you need to have an operation, it will not cause problems provided your asthma is well controlled and the anaesthetist knows that you have asthma.

Some, but not all, studies have shown that breast-feeding in the first few months of life may reduce the chance of your baby developing asthma. Breast-feeding also reduces the risk of babies developing intestinal illnesses and other infections. More information on breastfeeding can be found on the NHS Choices website. 

• The asthma medicines that you inhale will not affect your baby when you breastfeed. Usual doses of inhaled medicines do not enter the bloodstream, so they won't be found in breast milk.
• The medicine in steroid tablets can sometimes be present in very small quantities in breast milk. However, there is too little to have any harmful effect on your baby.
• Medicines prescribed for asthma do not affect your ability to produce breast milk.

The Department of Health guidelines suggest that the possibility of developing food allergy is less likely if certain foods are introduced into a baby's diet later rather than sooner. The guidelines suggest that babies should be breast-fed or bottle-fed until they are at least six months old. Breast-feeding (and/or breast milk substitutes if used) should continue beyond the first six months, along with appropriate types and amounts of solid foods. Examples of these are:

• At 6-9 months: vegetables, fruit other than citrus fruit, rice, meat, chicken and pulses (eg lentils) – these should be mashed or pureed.
• At 9-12 months: foods containing wheat (eg pasta, bread, biscuits), fish, eggs, yoghurt, cheese and citrus fruit
• Over 12 months: ordinary cows' milk

You may have heard about previous advice to avoid giving children foods which contain peanuts before the age of three if there was a history of allergy in the child’s immediate family (such as asthma, eczema, hayfever, food allergy or other types of allergy). This has now changed because the latest research has shown that there is no clear evidence to say that this will help to reduce the risk of your child developing a peanut allergy.

Talk to your GP, health visitor or medical allergy specialist before you give peanuts or foods containing peanuts to your child for the first time.

For more information, visit the Food Standards Agency website

We do not know the exact cause of asthma, but we do know that the tendency to develop asthma often runs in families. Research has shown: If both parents have asthma the chances of your baby developing asthma are higher. If the mother only has asthma the chances of your baby developing asthma are higher than if only the father has asthma.

• Asthma UK Adviceline - you can call our Asthma UK Nurse Specialists for free* on 0800 121 62 44
• Visit the NHS Choices website