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Children who take inhalable steroids for asthma grow slower than their peers in the first year of taking the drugs, but the effect of it so small that it easily outweighed by the benefits of taking the drug, say researchers. The Guardian reports that children who used common corticosteroids to alleviate their symptoms grew on average half a centimetre less over the course of a year, compared to children who didn't take any drugs. The steroids only affected children's growth in the first year and the impact was even lesser when lower doses were used.
The findings come from two studies by Francine Ducharme, a paediatrician at the University of Montreal and at the Federal University of Rio Grande in Brazil. For the first report, the researchers compiled evidence from 25 published trials of more than 8,400 children up to 18 years old. All had mild to moderate persistent asthma. From 14 trials that reported the figures, the average growth rate for children not taking steroids was six to nine centimetres a year. The range fell by half a centimetre in children who took any of six common corticosteroids used for treating asthma.
Samantha Walker at Asthma UK told The Telegraph: 'Half a centimetre in growth is a small price to pay for medicine which may save your child's life,' Walker said. 'Uncontrolled asthma can substantially increase the likelihood of asthma attacks, hospitalisation and even death and we know that inhaled steroids, taken regularly, significantly reduce the likelihood of these events happening.'
What is asthma?
Asthma is a disease of the airways which makes breathing difficult. It is caused by inflammation of the air passages that make them narrow temporarily. Symptoms of narrowing airways include wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and coughing. There can be several triggers or factors that can aggravate the symptoms of asthma. Common factors include dust, mites, pollen, smoke, pollution, weather changes, cold & cough and respiratory infections. Asthma can be broadly categorised into two categories specific and non-specific. Specific asthma is caused by breathing in allergens or irritants while non-specific asthma is caused by exercise, weather or genetic predisposition. The exact cause of asthma is not known but it is seen in families having a history of asthma. Some children get diagnosed with asthma but their symptoms may disappear in teenage years. This condition is called childhood asthma. For some people, asthma can be a chronic condition, where prolonged inflammation can cause permanent narrowing of airways. A severe onset of asthma symptoms of is called asthma attack. It may require hospitalisation and can often be life-threatening. Asthma cannot be cured, but it can be managed well with a number of treatment options aimed at relieving the symptoms and preventing the occurrence of severe asthma attacks. In this section, you'll find detailed information on causes, diagnosis and treatment options for asthma. You can also read specific articles like management of asthma in children, home remedies for asthma, drugs for asthma and useful tips to prevent asthma.
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