Howley MM, Papadopoulos EA, Van Bennekom CM, et al. - Researchers estimated links between asthma medication use and 52 specific birth defects, utilizing National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS) data from 1997-2011. For 28,481 birth defect cases and 10,894 non-malformed controls, experts compared self-reported maternal asthma medication use. Early pregnancy asthma medication use was reported by 1,304 (5%) case and 449 (4%) control women. Asthma medication use was related to longitudinal limb deficiency. Cleft palate, cleft lip, longitudinal limb deficiency, and truncus arteriosus, occurred in correlation with early pregnancy bronchodilator only use. Consistent with earlier NBDPS analyses, no link was identified between asthma medication use and most birth defects examined in this study, but findings revealed modest risks for bronchodilator use and several birth defects. Since early pregnancy asthma exacerbations have been related to adverse birth results, including birth defects, therefore, maintaining adequate asthma treatment during pregnancy was supported.