Salmeterol
Looking at birth records from Denmark dating between 1997 and 2007, it was determined that “This study adds to a body of recent research suggesting that medications used for certain common health conditions like asthma, when taken in pregnancy, may influence a newborn’s neurodevelopment,” Newschaffer said.
B2AR agonist drugs – which include salmetereol and formoterol – are used to relax the bronchial passages in a person’s lungs, providing a release from the constricting nature of asthma. According to the study, B2AR drugs can cross the placenta and reach the fetus, which may have an effect on its developing neurons.
Using Denmark’s Civil Registration System, Gidaya and the research team drew their sample from births in Denmark between Jan. 1, 1996 and Dec. 31 2006. All children in the study could be tied to a biological mother who’d been living in Denmark for at least a year. As a result, 5,200 children were a part of the case group (those diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder) and 52,000 children were in the control group (those who were not diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder).
Formoterol
RESULTS: 3.7% of children diagnosed with ASD had mothers who took B2AR agonist drugs during pregnancy. Of children not diagnosed with ASD, 2.9% were born to mothers who took the drugs. Children with mothers who filled their B2AR agonist prescriptions from 90 days before the estimated conception date all the way until their birth date were considered to be exposed to the drug. If a prescription was not filled throughout that entire period, the children were not considered to be exposed.
There was not a marked difference in the odds of a child eventually diagnosed with ASD between each trimester (and the 90 days prior to conception). However, the study determined that there was a greater risk when B2AR agonists were taken throughout a pregnancy.
Immediately stopping B2AR agonists could also be harmful. Uncontrolled asthma in pregnancy “has been associated with poor birth outcomes,” according to the study, so completely halting the use of B2AR drugs may not be the perfect solution. So risks need to be weighed with benefits. Note <1% of the ASD diagnoses in the entire population of the study (roughly 628,000 children) could be attributed to B2AR agonist drugs exposure.”Further research is needed before these results are taken into clinical consideration in the course of prenatal care,” Gidaya said. http://drexel.edu/now/archive/2016/January/ASD_Asthma_Drug_Study/
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