Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38973390›Full record

SynthesisBJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology2025

Maternal asthma during pregnancy and risks of allergy and asthma in progeny: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Andrea J Roff, Joshua L Robinson, Sarah J Hammond, Jana Bednarz, Andrew Tai, Vicki L Clifton, Janna L Morrison, Kathryn L Gatford

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Prenatal depression and psychotropics in offspring asthma and atopic dermatitis.Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA · 2026
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Andrea J RoffRobinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2560-7629
Joshua L RobinsonRobinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Sarah J HammondRobinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Jana BednarzSchool of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Andrew TaiRobinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Vicki L CliftonMater Medical Research Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Janna L MorrisonEarly Origins of Adult Health Research Group, Health and Biomedical Innovation, UniSA: Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Kathryn L GatfordRobinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundClinical and preclinical evidence indicate that in utero maternal asthma exposure increases progeny asthma risk. Whether maternal asthma also increases the risks of progeny allergy is unclear.

objectivesTo synthesise the available evidence on the relationship between in utero exposure to maternal asthma and postnatal asthma, wheezing and allergic diseases (Prospero: CRD42020201538). SEARCH STRATEGY: We systematically searched MEDLINE [PubMed], Embase [Ovid], Web of Science, Informit Health, the Cochrane Library, CINAHL [EBSCOhost], MedNar [Deep Web Technologies], ProQuest Theses and Dissertations, Scopus [Elsevier] and Trove, to the end of 2023. SELECTION CRITERIA: Studies reporting asthma, wheeze and/or allergic disease in progeny of women with and without asthma or with asthma classified by control, exacerbation or severity. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Double screening, selection, data extraction and quality assessment were performed, using Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) scoring. MAIN

resultsOf 134 non-overlapping studies, 127 were included in ≥1 meta-analysis. Maternal asthma ever was associated with greater risks of asthma (65 studies, risk ratio [95% confidence interval] 1.76 [1.57-1.96]), wheeze (35 studies, 1.59 [1.52-1.66]), food allergy (5 studies, 1.32 [1.23-1.40]), allergic rhinitis (7 studies, 1.18 [1.06-1.31]) and allergic dermatitis (14 studies, 1.17 [1.11-1.23]) ever in progeny. Asthma during the pregnancy, more severe, and uncontrolled maternal asthma were each associated with greater risks of progeny asthma.

conclusionsChildren of mothers with asthma are at increased risk for the development of allergic diseases. Whether improved maternal asthma control reduces risks of child allergy as well as asthma requires further investigation.

Indexed as

AsthmaHypersensitivityPregnancy ComplicationsPrenatal Exposure Delayed EffectsFemaleHumansInfant, NewbornPregnancyRespiratory SoundsRisk Factorsallergic dermatitisallergic rhinitisasthmafood allergymaternal asthmaoffspringpregnancysystematic reviewwheeze

Identifiers

PMID38973390
PMCPMC12137787

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.