Asthma in Labor and Delivery

Labor is a very physical process. It requires that the woman coordinate her physical efforts toward helping the baby through the birth canal. The physical effort demanded can be significant, and with that effort comes the demand for adequate lung function. So one of the recommendations of a National Institutes of Health committee that looked at asthma in pregnancy was that the mother's lung function be carefully considered.

Most women will have no problem in pregnancy, but a few women with asthma uncontrollable as labor approaches may develop problems for themselves and the baby. Women at risk in this regard must be identified beforehand by monitoring of lung function throughout pregnancy. Lung function tests may be needed toward the end of pregnancy, even peak flow determinations in the early stages of delivery (Of course, the baby's progress through the labor is also carefully monitored.)