Learning objectives: This article reviews current concepts of the immunology of pregnancy and of the diagnosis and management of certain allergic conditions in the pregnant woman: asthma, rhinitis, immunotherapy, and hereditary angioedema (HAE).
Data sources: Current texts, reviews, and individual studies were picked from the National Library of Medicine database.
Results and conclusions: Knowledge concerning the immunologic paradox of pregnancy continues to evolve. Although the answer is not definitive, attention is being paid to the role of a Th-2 shift in the pregnant uterus. Extensive studies, both epidemiologic and therapeutic, are clarifying the influence of pregnancy on asthma and rhinitis (and vice versa) and the best methods for treatment of these conditions in the pregnant woman. A brief guideline to the handling of hereditary angioedema in pregnancy is presented.