Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2026
Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels
Published on: August 7, 2017
Prevention of asthma in childhood
Zoran Danov1, Theresa W Guilbert
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53716, USA.
Insights
Multi-interventional strategies combining dietary and environmental changes show promise for childhood asthma prevention. Further research is needed to confirm long-term effects and explore new interventions for primary and secondary asthma prevention.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
- Environmental Health
- Public Health
Background:
- Childhood asthma prevalence is rising globally, especially in developed nations.
- Understanding early life factors is crucial for effective asthma prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent literature on childhood asthma prevention.
- To identify effective interventions for reducing asthma incidence and symptoms in children.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent scientific literature on asthma prevention.
- Analysis of studies on environmental exposures, medications, immunotherapy, and multi-interventional trials.
Main Results:
- Early life environmental exposures are linked to lower asthma rates, though mechanisms are unclear.
- Asthma medications show limited preventive success post-discontinuation.
- Immunotherapy reduces atopy and asthma.
- Multi-interventional trials reduced asthma symptoms but not objective lung function measures.
Conclusions:
- Multi-interventional approaches using dietary and environmental factors are most promising for asthma prevention.
- Long-term follow-up and novel intervention strategies require further investigation for primary and secondary childhood asthma prevention.
Purpose Of Review:
The prevalence of asthma is increasing in many parts of the world, particularly in developed countries. The present review focuses on recent literature regarding asthma prevention in childhood.
Recent Findings:
Several environmental exposures in infancy or early childhood are associated with reduced prevalence of asthma, but the mechanisms leading to these associations remain unknown. Recent studies have demonstrated limited success in the prevention of asthma or asthma symptoms with the use of asthma medications, once the therapy is discontinued. Immunotherapy offers another strategy for asthma prevention, and groups treated with this intervention have demonstrated reduced atopy and asthma. Several multi-interventional trials have demonstrated a reduced asthma symptom burden but have not demonstrated significant differences in objective measures such as lung function or bronchial hyper-responsiveness between intervention groups.
Summary:
The most promising asthma prevention strategies to date have been those that use a multi-interventional approach employing both dietary and environmental manipulations. More research is needed to assess the long-term follow-up of multi-interventional trials and to evaluate novel intervention strategies in the primary or secondary prevention of asthma in childhood.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Asthma I: Introduction
01:29Asthma-I: Introduction
01:20Asthma: Pathogenesis and Management
Asthma is classified as allergic and non-allergic. Allergens such as dust mites, pollen, and pet dander trigger allergic asthma, while factors like cold air, intense emotions, or exercise can induce non-allergic asthma.
01:30Asthma-IV: Diagnostic and Management
Clinical Assessment for Asthma:
This is the first step in diagnosing and managing asthma. It includes:
01:25Antiasthma Drugs: Mast Cell Stabilizers and Anti-IgE Drugs
Mast cell stabilizers, such as cromolyn (also known as sodium cromoglycate) and nedocromil (Tilade), are effective drugs in asthma management. These stabilizers hinder histamine release by skillfully obstructing the activation of mast cells and other cellular entities. Notably, they navigate this task without...
01:30Asthma-IV: Nursing Management
First, in...