We often encounter mothers-to-be with asthma who are very torn on the issue of asthma treatment and how to treat it most safely, which is a serious issue concerning the next generation. 1.Should drugs be used to treat asthma during pregnancy? Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that cannot be cured, and the existing asthma treatment drugs are very effective in preventing asthma attacks. If these medications are not used regularly, asthma attacks are likely to occur when there are triggers such as exposure to allergens, respiratory infections or mood swings. Asthma attacks are characterized by varying degrees of wheezing, coughing, and breathing difficulties, which are not harmful to adults, but are very harmful to the fetus in the womb and may cause intrauterine asphyxia and even affect fetal development. Therefore, asthma during pregnancy must be treated, how to treat it, and it is best to use medication regularly. 2.What kind of drugs should be used for asthma during pregnancy and what is the safety of the existing drugs for the fetus? For common asthma, there are two kinds of drugs, both of which are from foreign pharmaceutical companies – Sulidex (salmeterol tetrasone dry powder inhaler) and Symbicort (budesonide formoterol dry powder inhaler). Both of these drugs can be used by pregnant women and are used without reduction. Some people may ask, the instructions of these two drugs state “use with caution or under the supervision of a physician when pregnant”, does this mean that they still have certain side effects and there is no effective and absolutely safe drug. Objectively speaking, there is no such thing as an absolutely safe drug, and the evaluation of whether a drug can be used is based on a trade-off between the benefits and the possible harms of using it. If the benefits of using the drug clearly outweigh the possible harms, then it should be chosen for application. There are three different levels of safety for drugs used in pregnant women: Level A is the highest level of safety, based on animal and human trials confirming the safety of such drugs; Level B is slightly lower than Level A, with animal trials confirming safety but lacking data from human trials; and Level C is basically considered unsafe, as animal trials have confirmed that it is not suitable for use. So far, there is no class A drug for asthma in pregnant women, and the existing drugs such as the two categories mentioned above are all in the class B category, but after clinical observation at home and abroad, they can basically be used with confidence. 3.Why do many physicians recommend not to use medication during pregnancy? Let me try to analyze this question. OB/GYNs are not familiar with the safety of asthma medications and the risks of asthma to pregnant women due to their specialties, so they may advise pregnant women not to use medications for the sake of caution. If previous asthma attacks are rare, mild, and easily resolved on their own, then a pregnant woman with asthma may choose not to take medication for conservative treatment; if previous asthma attacks are frequent and symptoms are severe, then regular medication is recommended to ensure a safe and smooth pregnancy, as a severe asthma attack may be more harmful to the fetus than any medication.