There are few babies that are born with asthma but it can develop at any time of life – although it usually does so in childhood rather in their adulthood years. Asthma in a child is normally diagnosed even before the child reaches school age.
In younger children, asthma attacks are normally triggered by viruses, however as children grow and tend to spend more time outdoors the asthma triggers change.
In later childhood, asthma in a child is normally triggered by allergies; no matter what the triggers are, asthma in a child is a serious concern for many parents.
Children under the Age of 5
Since 80% of all asthma cases are diagnosed before a child starts school, this means that only 20% of those diagnosed are over the age of 5 at the time of the diagnoses.
Asthma in a child of this young age can often be confused with the common cold and bronchitis. Asthma is seldom serious in infants but tends to become more severe through childhood, generally worsening around 8-14 years of age.
For this reason, it is important to work closely with the child