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Poster Session 3

Category: Physiology/Endocrinology

Poster Session 3

(939) Maternal Asthma and the Endocrine Health of Offspring: Insights from a Population-Based Cohort Study

Thursday, February 12, 2026

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Submitting Author and Presenting Author(s)

Sapir Ellouk, MD, MPH (she/her/hers)

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Soroka University Medical Center, Ben-Gurion University, HaDarom, Israel

Coauthor(s)

Tamar Wainstock, PhD (she/her/hers)

Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Community Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Beer Sheva, HaDarom, Israel
Eyal Sheiner, MD, PhD

Deichmann Lerner Full Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology; Chairman of the Division of OBY&GYN
Soroka University Medical Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben‑Gurion University of the Negev
beer sheva, HaDarom, Israel

Objective:
Asthma is a prevalent chronic morbidity among pregnant women and is characterized by a variable clinical course during gestation. Maternal asthma has been associated with an increased risk of significant obstetric complications. Emerging evidence suggests that its effects may extend into the postnatal period, raising concerns about potential long-term health outcomes in offspring. This study evaluated whether maternal asthma is an independent risk factor for long-term endocrine morbidity in the offspring.

Study Design:
We conducted a population-based cohort study of deliveries from 1991 to 2021 using data from community clinics and a tertiary referral hospital. The primary outcome was the incidence of endocrine morbidity in offspring of mothers with vs without asthma. Kaplan–Meier curves assessed cumulative incidence, and a Cox proportional hazards model adjusted for confounders.

Results:
The analysis included 232,094 deliveries, 2,875 (1.2%) of mothers diagnosed with asthma. Offspring born to mothers with asthma had a significantly higher rate of endocrine morbidity compared to those without maternal asthma (11.2% vs. 7.2%; OR = 1.6, 95% CI 1.44-1.83, p < 0.001), with notably increased rates of thyroid disorders, hyperlipidemia, and obesity (Table). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis further demonstrated a significantly greater cumulative incidence of endocrine morbidity among offspring of asthmatic mothers (log-rank p</em> < 0.001; Figure). After adjusting for maternal age, gestational diabetes, cesarean delivery, hypertension, and gestational age using a Cox proportional hazards model, maternal asthma remained an independent predictor of endocrine morbidity in offspring (adjusted HR = 1.4; 95% CI, 1.25–1.56; p < 0.001).

Conclusion:
Maternal asthma is an independent risk factor for long-term endocrine morbidity in offspring. Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms linking maternal morbidity to fetal programming, the uterine environment, and long-term offspring health.