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Recording available 2/16-5/2
Recording available 2/16-5/2
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Poster Session 2

Category: Epidemiology

Poster Session 2

(651) Maternal Asthma and Childhood Respiratory Risk: Evidence from a Longitudinal Cohort Study

Wednesday, February 11, 2026
3:30 PM - 5:00 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:
Maternal asthma has been linked to a heightened risk of various obstetric complications. Growing evidence indicates that the impact of maternal asthma may extend beyond pregnancy, potentially influencing long-term health outcomes in children. This study aimed to investigate whether offspring who were born to mothers with asthma are at an increased risk of long-term respiratory morbidity.

Study Design:
A population-based cohort study evaluated long-term respiratory morbidity in offspring of mothers with and without asthma, using data from community clinics and a tertiary medical center between 1991 and 2021. Multiple gestations and congenital malformations were excluded. Kaplan–Meier analysis estimated cumulative incidence, and Cox proportional hazards model was used to adjust for confounders.

Results:

The analysis included 232,094 pregnancies, 2,875 (1.2%) involving mothers diagnosed with asthma. Children born to mothers with asthma exhibited a significantly higher rate of respiratory morbidity compared to those born to non-asthmatic mothers (48.7% vs. 34.3%; OR = 1.8, p < 0.001). Increased incidences of asthma, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and bronchiectasis were particularly notable in the exposed group (Table). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed a significantly higher cumulative incidence of respiratory morbidity among offspring of asthmatic mothers (log-rank p < 0.001; Figure). Even after adjusting for potential confounders—including maternal age, gestational diabetes, cesarean delivery, hypertension, and gestational age—maternal asthma remained an independent risk factor for offspring respiratory morbidity (adjusted HR = 1.5; 95% CI, 1.42–1.58; p < 0.001).

Conclusion:
Maternal asthma independently contributes to an increased risk of long-term respiratory morbidity in offspring. Further investigation is needed to clarify the biological mechanisms through which maternal asthma may influence fetal development and long-term respiratory health.