Asthma in the Child Care Setting
Asthma is a chronic breathing disorder and is the most common chronic
health problem among children. Children with asthma have attacks of
coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath, which may be very serious.
These symptoms are caused by spasms of the air passages in the lungs.
The air passages swell, become inflamed, and fill with mucus, making
breathing difficult. Many asthma attacks occur when children get respiratory
infections, including infections caused by common cold 
viruses.
Attacks can also be caused by:
exposure to cigarette smoke,
stress,
strenuous exercise,
weather conditions, including cold, windy, or rainy days,
allergies to animals, dust, pollen, or mold,
indoor air pollutants, such as paint, cleaning materials, chemicals,
or perfumes, or
outdoor air pollutants, such as ozone.
As with any child with a chronic condition, the child care provider
and parents should discuss specific needs of the child and whether they
can be sufficiently met by the provider. Some people believe that smaller-sized
child care centers or family child care home environments may be more
beneficial to a child with asthma because exposure to common respiratory
viruses may be reduced. However, this has not been proven to be true.
Children with asthma may be prescribed medications to relax the small
air passages and/or to prevent passages from becoming inflamed. These
medications may need to be administered every day or only during attacks.
Asthma medication is available in several forms, including liquid, powder,
and pill, or it can be breathed in from an inhaler or compressor. The
child care provider should be given clear instructions on how and when
to administer all medications and the name and telephone number of the
child's doctor.
The child care provider should be provided with and keep on file an
asthma action plan for each child with asthma. An asthma action plan
lists emergency information, activities or conditions likely to trigger
an asthma attack, current medications being taken, medications to be
administered by the child care provider, and steps to be followed if
the child has an acute asthma attack. Additional support from the child's
health care providers should be available to the child care provider
as needed.
Most children with asthma can lead a normal life, but may often have
to restrict their activity.
