It is very important to manage your asthma while you are pregnant.

The 'way' you manage it is vitally important to you and your unborn child.

Here are the main medicines used in the treatment of asthma and the effects they may have on unborn children.

Preventers

* Steroid Inhalers with Becotide (beclomethasone dipropionate) a drug used safely for years, including by pregnant women with no evidence of any harmful effects, under a variety of proprietary names.

* Cromoglycate (Intal, Lomudal, Cromolyn) as well as Nedocromil (Tilade, Tilarin) are not steroid treatments and they have an excellent safety record.

There has not been a record harmful effect on unborn babies have been recorded since its widespread use since the late 1960's.

* Theophylline (under a variety of proprietary names)

Different to inhaled asthma medications, theophylline often comes in tablet form and is taken orally.

There have been harmful effects on unborn children reported and it is in widespread use.

Relievers (bronchodilators)

* Salbutamol (also known asVentolin)

When used in limited amounts and inhaled as a treatment for asthma it has no harmful effects during pregnancy.

* Terbutaline (Bricanyl) As with salbtamol (above), with which it is similar, there also are no harmful effects.

Long-Acting Relievers

In similar fashion to relievers such as salbutamol and terbutaline, however they have a longer effect as they stick to the cells in the body on which they act.

Side-effects are tremor, increased pulse rate, and palpitations.

Although, they have been introduced more recently and there has been not pregnancy related harmful effects reported.

* Serevent (Salmeterol xinafoate)

No know harmful pregnancy effects reported.

* Foradil (Eformoterol)

No know harmful pregnancy effects reported .

Steroid Tablets or Injections

Emergency medications and are used to treat sudden asthma attacks.

If the need arises a decision as to whether the baby would be worse off if the asthma wasn't controlled must be made.

Strong steroids do have an affect on unborn children, however untreated asthma can have an effect on an unborn child and knowledge today of these effects appears to be that they are quite mild.

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