Corticosteroid therapy for the pregnant asthmatic patient.

Corticosteroids were used during seventy pregnancies in 55 asthmatic patients. In this series there was one spontaneous abortion and 71 live births (including two sets of twins). There was no maternal, fetal, or neonatal deaths. On the basis of recorded gestation, slightly more premature births were noted in this series than would be expected in the general population. However, there was no increased incidence of toxemia, uterine hemorrhage, or congenital malformations when compared to the general population, Corticosteroids, when indicated for the treatment of severe asthma, do not appear to noticeably increase the risk of maternal or fetal complications, and thus should not be contraindicated in pregnancy.