Dietary Fatty Acid Modification in The Childhood Asthma Prevention Study

Two factors thought to influence the risk factor asthma are the promoting effect of sensitization to house dust mites and the preventive effect of increased omega-3 fatty acids. Although the avoidance of house dust mites allergen has been used as a preventive strategy in several trials, the effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in the primary prevention of asthma and allergic disease is not known. (more…)

The Canadian Childhood Asthma Primary Prevention Study

Avoidance of any one of the individual risk factors associated with childhood asthma has not been successful in preventing its development. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a multifaceted intervention programme for the primary prevention of asthma in high-risk infants at 7 years of age. Five hundred and forty-five high-risk infants with an immediate family history of asthma and allergies were prospectively randomized into intervention and control groups pre-natally. (more…)

Prevalence of Childhood Asthma and Allergies

Asthma is a complex syndrome rather than a single disease entity. Different phenotypes with varying prognosis and determinants have been described, particularly over childhood years 2 and will be discussed in detail in the following. For example, transient early wheezing is characterized by the occurrence of wheezing in infants up to the age of 2 to 3 years which disappears thereafter. The main predictor of these wheezing illnesses is premorbid reduced lung function before the manifestation of any wheeze. These decrements in pulmonary function are in part determined by passive smoke exposure in utero 4 and result in symptoms of airway obstruction when infants get infected with respiratory viruses. (more…)

Persistent Asthma and Bronchial Hyperresponsiveness

Persistent Asthma
In the Tucson CRS study, about 50% of young children experienced a period of recurrent wheezing and/or coughing in the first 6 years of life. These early-childhood wheezers were further subdivided into (1) ’transient early wheezers,’ with wheezing only <3 years; (2) ‘persistent wheezers,’ with manifestations through the first 6 years; and (3) ‘late-onset wheezers,’ with manifestations only after 3 years. Transient wheezers comprised the largest proportion of the group at 20%; persistent and late-onset wheezers made up slightly smaller proportions (14% and 15%, respectively). (more…)

Maternal Fish Consumption During Pregnancy & Childhood Asthma

fish asthma
Maternal fish consumption during pregnancy may affect children’s risk of asthma by modulating early-life immune development. The type of fish consumed may be important because of differences in fatty acid content. To test this hypothesis, the authors conducted a nested case–control study, selecting subjects from the Children’s Health Study, a population-based study of school-aged children in southern California. Cases had physician-diagnosed asthma and controls were asthma-free by age 5 years. (more…)

Emergency Asthma Medications - Should Your Kids Carry Them to School?

emergency asthma medications
Many kids’ deaths in the United States over the years happened both in schools and children camps because of lack of access to basic essential medicines for asthma.

In Massachusetts, a law passed recently that allows students and children with asthma and allergies to bring along emergency (more…)

Allergy History ― The Most Important Thing to Determine Allergic Problem

allergy history allergic problem
Patient’s allergy history is one of the most important elements to evaluate of possible allergic problem. Sometimes this important factor is overlooked. Background information regarding patient’s allergy history will be used in following physical examination and allergy testing. Patient allergy history is made up of major complaints, determination of seasonality or variations of symptoms, trigger’s identifications, response allergic to medication, exposure in job environment, family allergy history, and other relational medical history. At first, it may not obvious to patient, which past allergy history are important. It is the duty of physician to conduct some questionnaire and highlight what is important history is essential. (more…)