Infant Asthma Update

What is infant asthma?

We talk about infant asthma or “wheezing”, with or without atopy, when he has already had three episodes of wheezing respiratory dyspnea in the first two years of life. This form of asthma most often affects babies who have already had bronchiolitis. The frequency of seizures is very variable from one child to another and in the same child.

Infant asthma: when to worry?

If your child is prone to bronchiolitis, that is, if he has at least three in his first two years, the doctor will diagnose infant asthma and prescribe treatment if necessary.

What is the difference between infant asthma and bronchiolitis?

It is sometimes very difficult to differentiate bronchiolitis from infant asthma. In both cases, this is a inflammation of the bronchi, but bronchiolitis is a viral infection that usually causes a fever, while asthma in infants can be caused by an infection but it is not.

Will my child have asthma in the future?

No, because many of these asthma will go away, or at least get better, after a few years. But if he has an atopic ground (eczema, rhinitis…), he is more likely to have persistent asthma beyond 3 years (20 to 25% of children).

When is the most favorable period for asthma attacks?

Between September and March, with a peak between October and December, which corresponds to the peak of bronchiolitis. It is indeed during this winter period that contact with microbes and the risk of inflammation are most frequent. The child is more vulnerable, his bronchi are weakened and infant asthma can start with a simple cold.

How to prevent asthma attacks?

We must first identify the conditions favorable to crises: pollution, humidity and winter cold are aggravating factors. But do not neglect the precautions to be taken at home: first of all eliminate tobacco, avoid carpets, ventilate several times a day, set the temperature of the room to 19 ° C and avoid dry heat. Finally, when the affection is known, do not hesitate to administer Ventolin at the first symptoms (wheezing or coughing fits).

What treatments are there for infant asthma?

Unfortunately, there is no miracle cure, but infant asthma usually goes away on its own before the child turns 3, in almost 80% of cases. At the time of seizures, Ventolin, administered using an “inhalation chamber” for children (Nebunette and Babyhaler type), relieves the child by dilating his bronchi. If this has been going on for several weeks, cortisone will be prescribed by inhalation for at least two months and will help to space the attacks. Finally, if you notice that your child is no longer feeding as easily or if he is showing signs of respiratory distress, go to the pediatric emergency room. The on-call team will place a mask on the child’s face to diffuse, in the form of aerosols, the more strongly dosed Ventolin for about ten minutes. Rest assured: a child who has severe infantile asthma attacks is not necessarily guaranteed to have asthma later on.

Can infant asthma be treated with alternative medicine?

Homeopathy, used as a basic treatment, does not replace traditional treatment. It can be a good complement because it takes into account all the aspects of the child: his character, the circumstances which provoke the crises, etc. Osteopathy can also be used as a supplement. It improves respiratory mechanics in the skull, ribs and pelvis, and releases general tensions in the body.

Infant asthma and allergy: what is the link?

While infant asthma usually results from inflammation of the bronchi triggered by a cold or other respiratory infection, there may be underlying allergic causes.

and a allergological investigation is it sometimes carried out, for children under 36 months of age who have respiratory symptoms:

• persistent despite the background treatment,
• and / or severe,
• and / or requiring continuous treatment,
• and / or associated with extra-respiratory symptoms compatible with an allergic origin,
• and / or in the event of a marked allergic history in parents or siblings.

Respiratory and food allergens are therefore among the triggering and / or aggravating factors of infant asthma. But this condition can very well exist in the absence of allergic ground, or “atopic“. “The presence of personal signs of atopy (atopic eczema, allergic rhinitis, food allergy) and familial (asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic eczema in parents and / or siblings) reinforces the presumption of asthma. However, their absence should not mean giving up the diagnosis”, Specifies the Haute Autorité de Santé in its recommendations for the management of infant asthma.

Once the possible allergic causes have been discovered, it will be recommended to reduce exposure to identified allergens as much as possible. Finally, it should be noted that exposure to tobacco and volatile organic compounds (VOCs, present in certain paints and coatings) is strongly discouraged, as they irritate respiratory life.