Managing Your Child's Asthma

*This article appeard in General Mills Box Tops 4 Education Family Matters Web site in May 2009.

Raising a child with asthma doesn’t have to be scary. Consider the following as you work with your child’s doctor to develop a plan that will help you and your child breathe easier:

Stay on active duty
Look to the three P’s to help keep your child safe wherever she goes:

1. Plan. Compose a written Asthma Action Plan, says Allen Dozor, M.D., Associate Physician-in-Chief and Chief, Pediatric Pulmonology at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, N.Y. It should include:
• how often you can repeat medications
• signs it’s time to go to the doctor or emergency room
• signals it’s time to call 911
Keep it on hand so you can make clear decisions quickly.

2. Prepare. No symptoms lately? Prepare for attacks anyway by keeping medication with your child at all times, including sleepovers and trips.

3. Partner. Work with your doctor to identify partners in your child’s wellbeing, such as the school nurse and camp counselors. Share your Asthma Action Plan and extra rescue inhalers with them.

Call for reinforcements
The best line of defense against asthma is knowledge. In addition to his book The Asthma and Allergy Action Plans for Kids, Dozor recommends the following Web sites:

• American Lung Association: lungusa.org
• American Academy of Allergy and Immunology: aaaai.org
• AANMA - Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics: aanma.org
• American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology: acaai.org
• AllergyandAsthmaRelief.org

Your physician may also have additional educational materials and programs, including information on asthma camps.

Take the offensive
Make a preemptive strike against asthma attacks by eliminating triggers such as:
• Tobacco smoke
• Fireplace smoke
• Highly aerobic exercise (especially in cold or dry air)
• Dust mites
• Pet dander
• Pollen
• Mold

In addition, have an allergist evaluate your child’s triggers, recommends Dr. Marjorie L. Slankard, clinical professor of medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons. Then go on trigger patrol: Use dust-proof bedding covers, keep pets out of the bedroom and keep windows closed when pollen and mold levels are high.

Most of all, pay attention to your child’s disease. “Asthma is so common, but so variable,” says Dozor. “Parents will learn over time what works best for their own child.”