Although your child's asthma cannot be cured, you can manage the symptoms with medications, especially inhaled corticosteroids and beta2-agonists. You and your child will usually work with your health professional to develop a management plan consisting of a daily treatment plan and an asthma action plan. These plans help you and your child meet treatment goals:

• Increase lung function by treating the underlying inflammation in the lungs.
• Decrease the severity, frequency, and duration of asthma attacks by avoiding triggers.
• Treat acute attacks as they occur.
• Use quick-relief medicine less (ideally not more than 2 times per week).
• Have a full quality of life-the ability to participate in all daily activities, including school, exercise, and recreation-by preventing and managing symptoms.
• Sleep through the night undisturbed by asthma symptoms.

For more information, see:

 Taking charge of asthma.

Babies and small children need early treatment for asthma symptoms to prevent severe breathing problems. They may have more serious problems than adults because their bronchial tubes are smaller. Although it may appear that occasional treatment with medications for children with mild asthma is enough, one review has noted that one-third of fatal asthma attacks occurred in children with mild asthma.²⁰ Even if your child's asthma does not appear severe, work with your health professional to develop the right plan for your child.

Some experts suggest using the "rule of two" in treating young children. This states that young children should be treated with long-term medications for persistent asthma if they:²⁰

• Have symptoms more than 2 times a week.
• Awaken at night because of asthma more that 2 times a month.
• Use more than 2 canisters of a quick-relief medication per year.

The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) recommends treatment with long-term medications for infants and young children who:²¹

• Consistently need treatment for symptoms more than 2 times per week.
• Have severe attacks more than once every 6 weeks.
• Have wheezing more than 3 times per year lasting longer than 1 day and affecting sleep and who have parents with a history of asthma or atopic dermatitis.
• Have wheezing more than 3 times a year lasting longer than 1 day and affecting sleep and two of the following three symptoms:
  • Wheezing not associated with colds
  • allergic rhinitis
  • A high eosinophil count. Eosinophils are a type of white blood cell often present in allergic reactions.

Emergency treatment

If your child has a severe asthma attack (the red zone of the asthma action plan), give him or her medication based on the action plan and talk with a health professional immediately about what to do next. This is especially important if your child's peak expiratory flow (PEF) does not return to the green zone or stays within the yellow zone after he or she takes medication. You and your child may have to go to the hospital or an emergency room for treatment.