Asthma In Infants On The Increase According To The CDC

                    

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Sadly, asthma in infants, and children in general, is on the increase. The Communicable Disease Center in Atlanta, GA, studied asthma between 1980 and 1998 and arrived at two alarming conclusions:

* The first is that asthma increased in infants by a whopping 138%

* In the early 1980s, the average age for the first recognition of asthma was the age of three to five years but by 1998, this age had decreased to only one year.

No one is certain why this trend is increasing, although there are numerous ideas that center around such factors as

1. Air quality
2. Exposure to second hand smoke
3. Nutritional deficiencies

But what is undeniable is that infant asthma is on the rise - perhaps a very steep rise.

Diagnosis of Infant Asthma

Obviously, diagnosis is more difficult in an infant asthma patient than any other. The sufferer cannot tell anyone that he is having difficulty breathing and cannot rest at night. Plus, a normal asthma test cannot be administered to a baby, obviously.

In infants and adults, asthma is the same - that is, the lungs are abnormally sensitive to stimuli that cause breathing difficulty. In infants, these "triggers" can be:

* Any kind of cold or respiratory inflammation
* Cold, wintry, freezing air
* Excessive excitement or over-stimulation
* Rapid temperature changes, such as those that occur in spring or autumn
* Classic allergens like pet fur and dander, dust, mold, insects
* Stress, which can be present in any life - even an infant's
* And, especially, exposure to cigarette smoke
* Lack of enough rest

It is the duty of parents to be alert to any sign of infant asthma, although most often this condition is discovered by accident. The concerned parent may take her child to the pediatrician believing that her baby has bronchitis, only to discovered that the true culprit is asthma.

There is good news, though, in the war against asthma in infants and the first positive note is that the child's life doesn't have to change much. Mom & Dad are the ones who will be responsible for regular doctor visits, schedules and any necessary medication.

Another positive note is that asthma deaths are extremely rare among babies. In fact, the older that patient is, the more the death rate increases. However, the death rate from asthma is low at any age. According to the American Lung Association, 154 children below the age of 15 dies in 2003, while 671 adults over the age of 85 died.

Asthma need not be a problem, even for an infant. With proper care and attention, it is a manageable annoyance rather than a crisis.

To learn more about asthma in kids and how you can best protect your tiny loved ones, check out AsthmaAnswersOnline.com which offers asthma facts to understand and control asthma symptoms.