If your asthma has recently been diagnosed, this section contains links to an array of well written resourses. It also includes a section on wheezing in the first year, a commonly misunderstood condition that doesn't always mean your child has asthma.

Asthma

Asthma in Children

Asthma affects about one in nine children in Australia. Although there is no cure, fortunately there are now many effective treatments available. Although it was once thought that children outgrow asthma we now know that is not the case. There are many excellent resources available on line that will help you understand asthma, assess its severity, learn about trigger factors and about management, monitoring and medications. 

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Wheezy year one

Wheezing in the First Year

Wheezing in the first year of life is not necessarily a medical disorder and may be due to causes other than asthma. In more than half of children who wheeze in the first three years the wheezing is transient and does not increase the chance of developing asthma.

Exposure to tobacco smoke increases the chances of wheezing during the first three years of a baby's life. Maternal smoking during pregnancy is another risk factor for transient wheezing as it affects lung growth and development.

There is a clear association between asthma in a parent and the development in a child of asthma or the presence of atopy and persistent wheezing. Atopy is a genetic tendency to develop classic allergic diseases e.g. eczema, hay fever and asthma. 

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Medications Action Plans

Medications/ Action Plans

There are a multitude of medications available to treat children's asthma. Understanding how each group of medications work will help you feel in control when faced with an acute asthma attack or chronic cough and wheeze. This section contains links to excellent resources which explain the grouping of medications, a devices or inhalers board, instructions on how to use a puffer and spacer and action plans for home, childcare, school and school camp.

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