Childhood Asthma and Schools

With more than half a million children with asthma missing at least one day of school each month, it is the leading serious chronic illness among children today. According to a new survey conducted by the American Lung Association and the National Association of School Nurses, more than half of school nurses said asthma was the chronic illness most disruptive to the school routine. Adrienne Weiss-Harrison, MD: “Asthma among school-age children is at epidemic proportions and continues to be a problem. It is the third leading cause of hospitalizations for children under fifteen, and when asthma episodes increase it can impact the entire family. Fortunately parents and educators can work together to reduce asthma’s impact on a child’s learning experience.” The survey also found that the vast majority of nurses believe there are children with undiagnosed asthma in their schools. More than one third of school nurses have responded to 11 or more acute asthma episodes or attacks in the last year. And more than half of school nurses felt that awareness of asthma triggers by school staff was only fair or poor. In addition to the Asthma Action Plan, the American Lung Association and the National Association of School Nurses offer other education programs to help manage the condition.