Childhood Asthma

Asthma is the most common chronic disease of South African children; affecting growth and development and quality of life. Features supporting the diagnosis are a family or personal history of atopy; night cough; exercise-induced cough and/or wheeze and seasonal variation in symptoms. Asthma is on the increase in both developed and developing countries; in both rural and urban communities. The first part of this series aims to give a brief overview of the epidemiology; pathophysiology and diagnosis of childhood asthma