BMI extremes increased the risk for adverse perinatal outcomes among women with asthma, highlighting the importance of BMI during pre-conception and pregnancy-related management of these patients, according to a study published in the Journal of Asthma. Investigators conducted a retrospective cohort study of 110,057 pregnant women, 17.08% of whom had asthma. BMI was grouped as underweight (<18.5), normal weight (18.5 to <24.99), overweight (25-29.99), and obese (≥30), and the population was split based on maternal asthma. The comparison group included pregnant women with normal BMI who were not asthmatic. Asthma and BMI were associated with an increased risk for poor fetal and neonatal outcomes. Asthma significantly increased the risk of stillbirth in underweight (adjusted relative risk [RR], 2.22) and obese (adjusted RR, 1.74); neonatal death in underweight (adjusted RR, 3.41) and obese (adjusted RR, 2.22); and perinatal death in underweight (adjusted RR, 2.34) and obese (adjusted RR, 1.92) women. Neonatal ICU admission was higher in neonates of underweight (adjusted RR, 1.65) and obese (adjusted RR, 1.26) women with asthma.

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