Information for parents of asthmatic children

• Studies have shown that 50-80% of children with asthma experience symptoms before age five.
• The childhood asthma often goes undiagnosed.
• In children under five years, the most common cause of asthma symptoms is viral respiratory infection.
• Factors associated with childhood asthma are allergy, family history of allergy / asthma and exposure to smoke and inhaled allergens.

Several studies have shown specifically that the risk of asthma increased in children with one or both parents smoke.
The exposure of children to snuff smoke increases respiratory symptoms such as cough, sputum or phlegm production and wheezing, and carries the risk of developing asthma and suffer asthma attacks.
The children of two to four years living with a smoker have a 280% more likely to suffer wheezing than children in households without smokers.
In addition, smoke snuff is also been associated with increased number and severity of respiratory disorders, including allergic rhinitis, bronchitis, pneumonia and ear infections, upper respiratory tract and nose.
As children are very susceptible to respiratory infections, exposure passive smoke snuff is made ​​even more worrying.