One in four New Zealand children has signs of asthma at some time

Many children under one year of age will wheeze or cough because their airways are very small, however, this does not necessarily mean that they will have asthma.  Many children grow out of their wheezy episodes by the age of three.  Their condition requires little or no treatment.

One quarter of New Zealand children will develop asthma

If my child does not grow out of this "happy wheezer" stage what signs of asthma should I look out for?

• breathlessness
• wheezing of noisy breathing
• coughing particularly after doing exercise
• coughing at night
• a tight feeling in the chest

Please talk to your doctor if your child has these signs of asthma.

Many children with asthma live healthy lives as long as their asthma is under control.  However, some children find physical activities difficult or they have trouble sleeping due to coughing or asthma attacks.

It is vital that you know as much as you can about your child's asthma so that it can be managed properly and that asthma has the least possible impact on their life.

What are some methods that will help my doctor to identify asthma?

Child Asthma Symptom Diary

Make a record of your child's symptoms over several weeks as having a diary will help clarify whether of not your child has asthma.

A Peak Flow Meter

A peak flow meter is a small plastic tube with a measuring gauge along the side, which measures how fast you can blow air out of your lungs.

If your child is over six years old they may be able to use a peak flow to measure how well the lungs are working.  These are available from your doctor free of charge.

A Spirometry Test

Children over seven years of age may be able to take a spirometry test.  It is a simple test that can be used to diagnose lung conditions like asthma.  The test involves taking a full breath in and blowing into a tube attached to a spirometry machine.  The test may be repeated after taking a dose of reliever medication.