Outcomes in pediatric asthma: What are the important issues?

Abstract

Historic characteristics related to children and their parents remain the primary focus for diagnosis of asthma in the preschool-aged child. Important questions remain unanswered. Physicians must be better able to assess whether asthma is present. They also need to better understand the genetics of asthma and allergy and to have access to simple, quantitative measurements of those environmental exposures that enhance the risk of allergy and asthma. Physicians must also balance benefits and risks from any intervention, which is difficult because existing guidelines do not offer much information on the preschool-aged child. Although we are unable to prevent the development of asthma and allergy, it is possible to help children and their families control asthma.