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Asthma in Infants: What is it?<\/b><\/p>\r\n
Asthma is a respiratory disease characterized by “asthma attacks” resulting in difficulty breathing (or acute shortness of breath). Asthma in children under 3 years of age is clinically defined as any episode of breathing difficulty accompanied by wheezing that has occurred at least three times since birth.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Therefore, if your child under 36 months has experienced at least 3 episodes of bronchitis, nasal pharyngitis, or bronchiolitis, it is essential to determine whether they are suffering from asthma.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Asthma attack in infants may manifest as:<\/span><\/p>\r\n Faced with one or more of these symptoms, you should consult your doctor immediately or seek emergency services.<\/span><\/p>\r\n A severe asthma attack’s symptoms may resemble those of bronchiolitis. Recurrence is what should alert.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Asthma in infants can also manifest through other (less suggestive) symptoms, such as:<\/span><\/p>\r\n Wheezing without coughing, occurring outside of attacks, with no effect on the child’s overall condition or activity.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Coughing triggered by exertion (when the child walks or cries or is agitated).<\/span><\/p>\r\n Coughing occurring at night.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Chronic cough or frequent coughing episodes.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Persistent coughing after bronchiolitis. In everyday language, we often talk about “asthmatic bronchitis,” “asthmatic cough,” “recurrent bronchiolitis,” etc.<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n A severe asthma attack’s symptoms may resemble those of bronchiolitis. Recurrence is what should alert.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Asthma in infants can also manifest through other (less suggestive) symptoms, such as:<\/span><\/p>\r\n Personal (eczema, allergic rhinitis, food allergy) or family (asthma, allergic rhinitis, eczema in parents and\/or siblings) history signs will reinforce the suspicion of asthma.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Asthma in Infants: Causes<\/b><\/p>\r\n This rapid increase cannot be fully explained today. It may be partly due to environmental factors: different exposure to infectious agents, children being more susceptible to viral infections… The direct causes are not yet known, but on the other hand, we know the factors that favor asthma in infants:<\/span><\/p>\r\n When a child is exposed to a virus, tobacco, or an allergen, it irritates the airways, which become inflamed and produce mucus (increased airway activity). The muscle of the airways contracts, and air does not pass through the airways. This is asthma in infants, a chronic inflammation of the airways.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Asthma in Infants: Diagnosis<\/b><\/p>\r\n When asthma is suspected, a chest X-ray is performed from the front, during exhalation and inhalation, to rule out other diagnoses such as malformations or foreign body inhalation.<\/span><\/p>\r\n If the X-rays are normal, experimental asthma treatment begins. Its effectiveness reinforces the diagnosis of asthma. However, effectiveness may be inconsistent or incomplete without excluding the diagnosis of asthma.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Allergy testing is not systematic in infants: it is carried out if symptoms or signs suggestive of allergy or a notable family history persist. Respiratory function tests can be performed.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Treatment of Asthma in Infants<\/b><\/p>\r\n The severity of asthma (especially depending on the frequency of attacks) determines the choice of treatment.<\/span><\/p>\r\n To relieve symptoms of asthma attacks, timed-use medications are prescribed. They aim to relieve breathing difficulties, wheezing, and coughing by inhaling bronchodilators (beta-2 mimetics), and if necessary, internal corticosteroids are prescribed. These products can be used at an early age when the first signs of illness occur.<\/span><\/p>\r\n The basic treatment for asthma in infants ranges from mild continuous to moderate continuous stages. It primarily relies on effective-dose inhaled corticosteroid therapy. This treatment is administered using spacers or compressor\/inhalers. “In the short term, disease-modifying treatments reduce the frequency and severity of attacks.” In addition to drug therapy, adherence to hygiene rules is essential. It is also necessary to avoid exposing the asthmatic child to cigarette smoke.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Also, recurrent coughing or wheezing due to viral infection should be prevented. Therefore, it is essential to avoid:<\/span><\/p>\r\n The following are also recommended:<\/span><\/p>\r\n Physical therapy sessions can be prescribed in case of excessive airway secretion.<\/span><\/p>\r\n When to Worry?<\/b><\/p>\r\n Consult your doctor or pediatrician immediately in any of the following cases:<\/span><\/p>\r\n How Does Asthma Develop in Infants?<\/b><\/p>\r\n Half of young children with asthma in infancy will not have asthma as they grow older. “There is a fifty-fifty chance that asthma will disappear in children in childhood.”<\/span><\/p>\r\n On the other hand, 10% of young children will continue to have asthma. “Children who wheeze early and who have severe allergies – those who have eczema, perhaps food allergies – are the ones whose asthma continues into childhood, even into adolescence,” according to pediatricians. Thus, allergy tests provide information on the later development of asthma.<\/span><\/p>\r\n How to Prevent Asthma Attacks?<\/b><\/p>\r\n First of all, avoid exposing your child to irritants such as tobacco. If you smoke, it’s important to try to quit smoking.<\/span><\/p>\r\n During viral infections, enhance cleanliness measures:<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n If your child has allergies, limit exposure to allergens with several precautions:<\/span><\/p>\r\n Asthma in Infants: What is it? Asthma is a respiratory disease characterized by “asthma attacks” resulting in difficulty breathing (or acute shortness of breath). Asthma in children under 3 years of age is clinically defined as any episode of breathing difficulty accompanied by wheezing that has occurred at least three times since birth. Therefore, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1789,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[258],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\r\n
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