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African-American children are more prone to asthma attacks than their European counterparts, confirms a recent study conducted by a group of prominent research scientists. Their findings have been documented by the American College of Chest Physicians. The data confirms that lung functions of African-American children are, in fact, different than those of European-American children.
Research medical scientists from the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Michigan, and the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, conducted a cross-sectional study aimed at exploring racial differences in physiologic factors associated with pediatric asthma. They studied the medical records of nearly 600 middle-class children living in Detroit between the ages of 6 and 8; 51% of the participants were male.
Following a battery of tests, it was concluded that the amount of air in the lungs of African-American children and how their lungs responded to certain conditions differed from those of European ancestry. The medical industry hopes that these findings will help further explain why black children are not only more prone to sickness than white children, but why more members of that ethnic group die from asthma. It is suggested that black children may be predisposed to respiratory problems.
Asthma is a chronic lung condition that can develop at any age. It affects nearly 10% of the pediatric population, mostly boys. It is responsible for a quarter of school absenteeism.
Although it is preventable, an average of 20 children and 500 adults die from asthma each year.
A professional diagnosis is vital if asthma is to be treated properly. Your pediatrician will want to know your family history of asthma and any common allergies you or a family member may have. Oftentimes, the clues come early. An asthmatic child will have breathing problems before he/she is able to walk.
Other symptoms include frequent colds, croup, seasonal health changes and a persistent cough following a cold. If you have to take your child to the emergency room because of a breathing problem, you will need to ask your pediatrician to recommend a pulmonary specialist or allergist.
Doctors who specialize in diseases of the lungs will listen to your child’s lungs for shortness of breath or wheezing, and examine his/her nasal passages. A chest x-ray may be performed to rule out the possibility of breathing problems caused by heart disease or anything else other than asthma. Blood and skin tests may also take place. A skin test is important because it can confirm the presence of allergies. If you child is over age 5, a breathing test may be taken to measure the amount and rate at which air is able to pass through the airway. In some clinical laboratories, exercise challenge tests help to determine whether the child is asthmatic.
Therapy currently used to control asthma attacks include anti-inflammatory medication, bronchodilators and inhalation devices. To learn more about asthma and other respiratory ailments, contact the American Lung Association. A local phone number is listed in the business section of your telephone directory.
You may want to know about support groups in your area as well as camps for asthmatic children.
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