Hispanic mothers with asthma experience specific neonatal complications
Hispanics in the United States are disproportionately affected by asthma, something often attributed to environmental factors like crowded, urban communities and high exposure to pollutants.…
Hispanic mothers with asthma should be aware of some neonatal risks. (Shutterstock)
Hispanics in the United States are disproportionately affected by asthma, something often attributed to environmental factors like crowded, urban communities and high exposure to pollutants. When it comes to Hispanic mothers though, it is important to know the inflammatory condition can mean an increased risk for certain neonatal complications.
According to Pauline Mendola, PhD, lead researcher on a recently published study examining asthma and neonatal complications, Hispanic mothers with asthma–when compared to Hispanic mothers without asthma–were more likely to have infants born with apnea, small-for gestational age issues, or a need to be admitted to intensive care.
SEE ALSO: Asthma in Hispanics: millions affected, less likely to receive care
In general, however, researchers indicated asthma had very little impact on risk when it came to neonatal issues, with the exception of the specific risks found in Hispanic and non-Hispanic white mothers.
“Our analyses suggest that asthma is not a strong contributor to racial/ethnic disparities in adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes,” Mendola said in an interview with MedicalResearch.com. “This is very reassuring, particularly for Black women who have both high rates of asthma and of adverse outcomes. Careful management of asthma is important in pregnancy since the literature suggests this improves obstetric and neonatal outcomes. White and Hispanic mothers with asthma appear to experience higher risk for some of the outcomes we studied.”
Hispanic mothers with asthma are more likely to have infants in need of intensive care. (Shutterstock)
Mendola indicated more research is needed among ethnicities, especially since the current study did not explore Hispanic or Asian/Pacific Islander subgroups or countries of origin. These further breakdowns can be important; The American Lung Association indicates some Hispanic subgroups have higher- or lower-than average rates of asthma. Puerto Ricans, for example, have the highest rates of asthma even when compared to African Americans, but Hispanics of Dominican descent have rates significantly lower than non-Hispanic whites.
SEE ALSO: Hispanic children are more likely to die from asthma, but why?
“Asthma is the most common chronic disease in pregnancy and both asthma and maternal race/ethnicity are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes,” said Mendola. “Since the prevalence of asthma also varies by race/ethnicity, we wanted to assess whether asthma was an important contributor to racial/ethnic disparities in pregnancy outcomes.”
Though asthma overall is seen as a minimal risk during pregnancy, it is important for women to know if they are at an increased risk due to ethnicity.
