Childhood asthma is a condition that affects the lungs of babies and children, causing symptoms such as wheezing, coughing and some difficulty breathing, which can appear in childhood or just in adolescence.
Asthma in babies and children is more common when one of the parents is asthmatic, but it can also develop when there is no family history of the disease.
Childhood asthma is a chronic disease and, therefore, has no cure. However, appropriate treatment helps alleviate symptoms, allowing a quality of life similar to that of a child without asthma.
Childhood asthma symptoms
Symptoms of baby asthma include:
- Wheezing when breathing;
- Difficulty/effort breathing;
- Cough caused by laughter, intense crying or physical exercise;
- Cough even when the baby does not have the flu or a cold.
There is a greater risk of a baby having asthma when one of the parents is asthmatic, and if there are smokers in the house. Animal hair only causes asthma if there is a genetic predisposition/allergy to hair. By themselves, animals do not cause asthma.
Online symptom test
To find out the chances of your child having asthma, please select the symptoms they present:
The symptom test is only a guidance tool and does not serve as a diagnosis or replace consultation with a pediatrician, pulmonologist or allergist.
How to confirm the diagnosis
The diagnosis of childhood asthma can be made by a pulmonologist or pediatric allergist, but the pediatrician may suspect the disease when the child shows signs and symptoms of asthma, referring them to these specialists.
Taking care of your health has never been easier!
See what tests can be done to diagnose asthma.
Treatment of asthma in babies
The treatment of childhood asthma is similar to that for adults, and must be carried out using medication and avoiding exposure to substances that can trigger an asthma attack. In babies and children under 3 years of age, the pediatrician or pediatric pulmonologist advises nebulization of asthma medicines diluted in saline solution, and it is only generally after 5 years of age that the child can start using the “damp pump”. asthma”.
The pediatrician may also recommend nebulizing corticosteroid medications, such as Prelone or Pediapred, once a day, to prevent asthma attacks and getting the flu vaccine every year, before the start of winter.
If during an asthma attack the medicine seems to have no effect, you should call an ambulance or take the baby to the hospital as quickly as possible. See what First Aid is for an asthma attack.
In addition to using the medicine, the pediatrician should advise parents to take some precautions at home, especially in the baby’s room, how to avoid the accumulation of dust. Some useful measures are to remove rugs, curtains and carpets from the house and always clean the house with a damp cloth to remove all dust.
What should a baby’s room with asthma be like?
The main precautions when preparing the room for a baby/child with asthma are:
- Use anti-allergenic covers on the mattress and bed pillows;
- Change the blankets by duvets or avoid using blankets with fur;
- Change bed linen every week and wash it in water at 130ºC;
- Install rubber flooring washable, as shown in image 2, in places where the child plays;
- Clean the room with a vacuum cleaner dust and damp cloth at least 2 to 3 times a week;
- Clean fan blades Once a week, avoiding the accumulation of dust on the device;
- Remove rugs, curtains and carpets the child’s room;
- Prevent animals from enteringsuch as a cat or dog, inside the baby’s room.
In the case of a baby who presents asthma symptoms due to changes in temperature, it is also important to wear clothes appropriate to the season to avoid sudden changes in temperature.
Additionally, stuffed dolls should be avoided as they accumulate a lot of dust. However, if there are toys with fur, it is recommended to keep them closed in a closet and wash them at least once a month.
These precautions must be maintained throughout the house to ensure that allergic substances, such as dust or dander, are not transported to the place where the baby is.
What to do when your baby has an asthma attack
What you should do in a baby’s asthma attack is to nebulize bronchodilators, such as Salbutamol or Albuterol, prescribed by your pediatrician. To do this you must:
- Place the number of drops of the medicine indicated by the pediatrician in the nebulizer cup;
- Add 5 to 10 ml of saline solution to the nebulizer cup;
- Position the mask correctly on the baby’s face or place it together on the nose and mouth;
- Turn on the nebulizer for 10 minutes or until the medicine disappears from the cup.
Nebulizations can be done several times during the day, according to the doctor’s instructions, until the baby’s symptoms subside.
When to go to the doctor
Parents should take their baby to the emergency room when:
- Asthma symptoms do not decrease after nebulization;
- More nebulizations are needed to control symptoms than recommended by the doctor;
- The baby has purplish fingers or lips;
- The baby is having difficulty breathing and is becoming very irritable.
In addition to these situations, parents should take their baby with asthma to all routine appointments scheduled by the pediatrician to assess their development.
