It is essential that children be protected from irritants such as tobacco smoke, since this causes chronic irritation of the airways. Studies have documented that children born to a mother who smokes or who live with a smoker have a much higher incidence of asthma and respiratory infections. Based on a child s history and symptoms, a physician must consider various conditions and the child s environment when making a diagnosis of asthma. Once asthma is diagnosed, the child s physician and parents or caretakers will work with the child on an effective management and treatment plan. If the child is very young, parents or caretakers must assist by observing for possible asthma symptoms, helping the child use a tool called a peak flow meter to objectively measure the ease or difficulty of breathing, and ensuring the child receives appropriate medications when needed.
Older children can follow a management and treatment plan on their own with less supervision.
However, if a child s asthma becomes difficult to manage, it may be that he or she requires closer supervision by parents. Since asthma is a disease that does not follow a set course, predicting a particular child s symptoms and clinical progress is not possible. Some children have asthma symptoms that improve during adolescence, while others worsen. Often, symptoms in young children seem to resolve, but their asthma may flare up later in life. However, for most children, asthma can be controlled with appropriate management and treatment.