The Asthma Epidemic

It’s estimated that 28 million Americans now suffer from the torment of asthma, causing 11+ million visits to doctors or emergency rooms every year according to AAFA (Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America). [1]

Even more troubling, the incidence of asthma in children has nearly quadrupled over the last 30 years, according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control). Nearly one in ten children in the US (9.4%) now has asthma, with the fastest rate of growth in the preschool-age children. [2]

Asthma is also very closely linked to allergies, and allergy-induced asthma is the most common form of asthma in the United States. 60% of people with asthma suffer from the allergic type. [3]

Asthma attacks involve 3 overlapping processes:

Although medical treatment with inhaled corticosteroid sprays can alleviate airway obstruction, they are not without risks. The side effects are no different than for taking steroid pills (Prednisone use is very common). These risks include abnormalities of the bones, eyes, and the immune system. [4]

That’s why I pray that:

Prevention Will Be The Medicine of The Future

Right now, adopting some basic health strategies, before you have your next child can significantly reduce the risk that your child will ever develop asthma or allergies.

• Children who are breast fed for their first 6 months experience
  much lower incidence of asthma and allergies. [5], [6]

An extensive, Federally funded review of the medical literature by Tufts University revealed that a history of breastfeeding was also associated with a reduction in the risk for developing acute otitis media (middle ear infections), nonspecific gastroenteritis, severe lower respiratory tract infections, dermatitis and eczema, Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, and childhood leukemia. [7]

• Although smoking during pregnancy has been found to
  contribute to asthma incidence, breast-feeding for
  6 months lowed those odds significantly! [6]

This protection occurs because mother’s milk contains a form of antibodies called immunoglobulins, so drinking her milk transfers the mother’s immunity to her infant.

• Children who receive antibiotics before their first birthday are significantly more likely to develop asthma, even in families with no history or risks for developing asthma.
  [8], [9], [10], [11], [12]

Infants are often given antibiotics to treat middle ear infections, even though the CDC has been advising against the practice for decades, and numerous clinical trials have provided minimal results from repeated antibiotic use. [12]

A 2006 meta-analysis, which reviewed 5 other clinical trials, revealed that receiving even a single dose of antibiotics before the age of one doubles the risk of developing asthma. [10]

This is a huge problem! The epidemic growth of asthma in the last few decades roughly parallels the increased use of antibiotics to treat children for viral infections. [13]



Early supplementation DOES make a difference.

Researchers in Sweden studied the association between multivitamin supplementation and allergic disease in 2,423 8-year-old children. They found that children who started taking multivitamins before the age 4 experienced the lowest incidence of either asthma or allergies. [14]

There used to be controversy about when to introduce solid foods to infants, and which foods are likely to contribute to developing allergies later in life. A new review of 3 recent European studies indicates that delaying the introduction of solid foods beyond 6 months provided no additional protection against developing asthma or allergies by the age of 6 years. [15]

In reality, food allergies were found to be more frequent in children who were introduced to solids later on in their lives. So, starting them on solid food around 6 months also appears to be protective.