The incidence, triggers, progress, and treatment of the condition often differ according to the age of the person with the condition, however. When asthma develops before puberty, it affects twice the number of boys as it does girls. Children younger than age 5 are hospitalized for asthma much more often than are children ages 5 to 15. This is probably because the younger children are harder to monitor, so attacks progress and more often lead to respiratory infection. In addition, the airways of the younger children are smaller.
Allergies are an important factor in childhood asthma.
Children with allergies other than food allergies have a good chance of developing asthma. Food allergies, on the other hand, are not strongly related to asthma. Infants born to parents who have allergies are more likely to develop asthma in childhood. Most children with asthma do not completely outgrow the condition, but its severity may lessen with maturity because airways become larger. Tips for the Parents of Children With Asthma Recognize Symptoms As a parent, you must be alert for signs of an impending or current attack.