Early intervention for infantile and childhood asthma

Asthma is a chronic airway inflammatory disease and it is accepted that early initiation of anti-inflammatory medication is beneficial for adult asthma. Pathological and epidemiological studies suggested that early intervention with anti-inflammatory drugs such as inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) should take place before preschool age, possibly between 1 and 3 years of age. However, the effect of early intervention using ICS in young children is considered controversial as several clinical studies have suggested that ICS does not alter the natural history of asthma in young children. Although there is limited and some negative evidence for the effect of ICS in young children, ICS remains the most effective medication for controlling asthma of the currently available drugs for all ages. Therefore, pediatricians should prescribe ICS to control the active symptoms of asthma, owing to the well-known, beneficial effects of ICS on decreasing the symptom burden of young children with asthma.