Archive for the 'CHILDHOOD ASTHMA' Category

Babies born by Cesarean section may have a moderately increased risk of developing asthma compared with those born naturally, Norwegian researchers report after investigating this link in a population-wide study.

Dr. Mette C. Tollanes, of the University of Bergen, in Norway, and colleagues looked at the modes of delivery among more than 1.7 million single births reported to the Medical Birth Registry of Norway between 1967 and 1998.

They used registry data from Norway’s National Insurance Scheme to determine the number of children who, through the age of 18 or the year 2002, developed severe asthma.

Between 1967 and 1998, asthma risk was about 50 percent higher among children born by C-section compared with children born spontaneously and vaginally, the researchers report.

They found 19 percent increased risk among children born by vaginal delivery requiring the use of instruments (forceps or vacuum).

From 1988 through 1998, when the birth registry designated between emergency and planned C-section deliveries, unexpected differences emerged.

Compared with spontaneous vaginal deliveries during this period, emergency C-sections carried higher asthma risk (59 percent) than planned C-sections (42 percent increased risk). Instrument-assisted vaginal deliveries brought a 14 percent increased asthma risk during this 10-year period.

What could be the most terrible thing than seeing your child out of breath and almost wheezing his/her lungs out for breath.

Gasping for breath is the most common condition for asthma in toddlers.

If you think childhood asthma is terrible, then it is very essential for you to realize that asthma in toddlers is most horrible.

For most of the children who are suffering from asthma, treatment is as necessary as when they were toddlers. So, it is very essential for your kid to get tested for asthma as soon as possible.

Recent study has proved that more than five million children are suffering with asthma, in which 1,73,000 are suffering from severe manifestations.

Cold or asthma?

Most of you might get confused with normal cold and asthma in toddlers. These tips can be useful for you in identifying those signs of asthma in your kid. Some of them include:

• Asthma in toddlers is mainly characterized with persistent cough which sounds like as if the lungs are crammed.
• Very rarely, the cough involved in asthma will come out as wheezing.
• Flaring nostrils can be due to the inflammation in the air passages.

It is difficult to manage asthma in infants because no signs and symptoms of asthma are alike for everyone.

As per studies, asthma in infants and children is on the increasing side, but exactly what the reason of this increasing trend is not known.

However, there are various factors that are contributing for this rise, which include air pollution, second hand smoke exposure, and deficiency in nutrition.

Although the asthma is same in infants and adults, asthma in infants triggering factors are freezing air, over stimulation or excitement, rapid changes in temperature, stress, allergens (dander, dust, insect, etc), and many more.

It is predicted that approximately eighty percent of the children are developing their first asthma symptoms before age 5 and it is difficult to diagnose asthma in infants and children below age 5 as the signs of other illnesses are similar.

Other conditions such as pneumonia, cystic fibrosis, bronchitis, cold, gastroesophageal reflux, etc have similar symptoms of wheezing and coughing. So, it is wise of not coming to the conclusion that the child has asthma and going for any long-term asthma treatment.

Since all wheezing and coughing is not caused by asthma, treating infants with asthma medication is not correct.

Wheezing is not a sign or symptom of infant asthma.

Not all the children who are wheezing will develop asthma and not all the children who are suffering with asthma will wheeze.

This wheezing is known as high pitched, whistling noise that occurs while exhaling.

There are several causes of wheezing in infants. It may be due to viral infections, climatic change, etc. But, continuous wheezing in infants may lead to infant asthma. This is because the airways in infants will be very small and any viral infection in those airways will cause infant asthma.

It is difficult to diagnose infant asthma because small child may not be as cooperative as younger one. Infant asthma will be developed easily in small one because the lungs of the infants do not serve as functional as the lungs of the older children. So, viral infection can be obtained in them easily.

The resistance power will be less in the infants, so any infection can occur easily in them. Some times, the symptoms of the asthma in infants will be severe due to infancy. This results in the difficulty of breathing in the infants.

Childhood should be free and enjoyable with stress free life.

But, unfortunately pediatric asthma is making childhood as stressful for a child as adulthood is for an adult.

Pediatric asthma makes child stressful many times over.

Pediatric asthma and stress are related to each other. Asthma can lead to stress and stress worsens the asthma. If your child has asthma, entire household will be under stress. As pediatric asthma has increased over years, early diagnosis of pediatric asthma is important.

Most of the time children breathe normally with asthma. Triggers can cause asthma attack.

Some of the triggers that cause pediatric asthma are:

• Dust
• Tobacco smoke
• Exercise
• Pollen
• Mold
• Strong emotions
• Chemicals in the air
• Viral infections such as cold
• Changes in weather
• Animal dander

Children’s airways are narrower than adults. Triggers that cause only a slight response in an adult can be much more serious in children. In children, the symptoms can be severe and appear suddenly.

During asthma attack, child has difficulty to breathe and begin to breathe very fast. A continuous night time cough is the common sign of asthma [Symptoms Of Asthma In Child]. If the child has severe asthma attack, medical evaluation is required which require hospitalization, oxygen and medications.

Asthma in children is a serious problem that affects them in a way such which makes them feel bad.

It is a life threatening disease. It can begin at any age, but most children have their symptoms at the age of five.

Many children are developing asthma because they are being exposed to more and more allergens such as pollution, dust and smoke.

Some experts say that children are not exposed to enough childhood illnesses to build up their immune system.

Asthma in children can be controlled with medications which prevent and controls asthma attacks. It will be difficult to understand what medications should be used and what you have to do to control asthma in children.

Signs and symptoms of asthma in children:

There are many symptoms of asthma in children. The common symptoms are shortness of breath, wheezing, tightness in the chest, feeling of weakness or tiredness, less energy during play, and cough which are common in childhood. Asthma in children can cause due to cold or changes in weather. Children can also get asthma due to some physical activities.

Childhood asthma is common and many children have to deal with problems of asthma.

It is serious and potentially life threatening disease.

It affects many children and you have to understand everything about childhood asthma to make your child safe.

Understanding different medications and treatments is difficult.

You should be aware of the things that you are doing when your child is suffering with asthma. Be sure that you are giving prescribed medications to your child to protect from problems of childhood asthma.

The symptoms of childhood asthma are coughing, tightness in the chest, wheezing and difficulty in breathing.

Triggers of childhood asthma:

The causes of childhood asthma can be due to pollution, smoke, cold, dust particles, changes in the weather, chemicals, mold, animal dander and exercise. Find out what triggers asthma in your child and keep your child away from them.

Childhood asthma is caused due to running. If bronchodilator medications are used before exercise, it can prevent most of the episodes. Once asthma is controlled properly, most children can participate fully in physical activities.

Infections also trigger asthma in children. Vaccines are best to control asthma in child. Bronchodilator medication, good hydration and if required corticosteroids are required to control childhood asthma triggered by viral infections.

Asthma in child is common and about 1 to 2 percent of all children get chronic asthma during childhood.

Even though it is not completely cured, it can almost be controlled.

The better you understand asthma in child, the better you will be able to control it.

Causes of asthma in child:

• As asthma tends to run in families, your child may be affected with asthma.
• The cause of asthma in child is due to the air pollution, animal dander, cockroach droppings and dust mites.
• Exposure to smoke is also an important cause of asthma in child.
• If your child is having infections caused by virus such as cold and flu.
• If there are changes in weather.
• Emotions such as fear, excitement or anger can cause asthma in child.
• Play and exercise, especially in cold weather.

Signs and symptoms of asthma in child:

• Wheezing, which is a whistling sound especially noticeable as your child breathes out.
• Shortness of breath
• Coughing
• If your child can’t play or exercise normally with other children
• If your child’s sleep is disturbed because of wheezing and coughing
• Chest congestion and tightness

It can be frightening and stressful for you with asthma child.

You want your child to play like other children.

You can help your asthma child by keeping your child away from triggers and irritants that cause asthma attacks.

Triggers which cause asthma attack:

• Air pollution
• Physical exercise
• Tobacco smoke
• Animal dander
• Sinus infections
• Pollen
• mold
• Dust mites
• Strong perfumes
• Viruses
• Some foods

How to help your asthma child from triggers?

If your child is allergic to house hold dust mites, clean your house regularly with vacuum cleaner. Clean the carpets, bed sheets, pillow covers and furniture. If pollen is causing asthma, use an air conditioner and close all the windows and doors of your home.

If mold is the cause of asthma, clean your bathroom, basement and kitchen regularly. The level of humidity should be under fifty percent. You can use an air conditioner or dehumidifier to maintain this level.

If your child is allergic to dust, wash bed sheets, pillow covers, drapes and carpets once in a week in hot water. Avoid soft toys as they catch dust and create allergy. Avoid smoking in front of your child or inside the home.