This section of the website is designed to address the special concerns relating to childhood asthma. In the parent-oriented segments of Children and Asthma, look for information, hints, and resources for the family dealing with asthma. In the Kid-Friendly Zone, you will find asthma-related information and activities (along with links to other sites) for children ages 5 to 11. Asthma Camps!! Summer of 2006!! Statistics In the United States, asthma is the most common chronic disorder in children under 18, affecting more than 5 million nationally (or about 1 in 12 American children). It is estimated that asthma causes more than 10 million missed school days every year in the U.S. Wheezing in Early Life Many children, at some point when they are babies or toddlers, develop wheezing that lasts for a period of a couple days to a couple months, and then goes away. Physicians call these children "transient wheezers," and they are not considered actually to have asthma. Other children who wheeze during early childhood do go on, however, to have true asthma for the long-term. It is not possible to know when a young child first wheezes whether he or she will just be a "transient wheezer" or will actually develop chronic asthma. Childhood Asthma, Adult Asthma Most doctors agree that people do not generally grow out of asthma. Once you have asthma, you have it for life. Some children's asthma does get less severe as they grow bigger, because their airways are getting bigger, too, so breathing problems are reduced. If a person had asthma as a child, however, even a complete improvement does not mean that the asthma went away. The asthmatic person's airways and lungs are still vulnerable, and breathing problems may surface again later on in life. |
