Asthma & Wheezing in First Years of Life (Asthma Series Paper 8)

Wheezing in infancy and childhood is not a single disorder and is just as likely to be due to causes other than asthma. In more than half of the children who wheeze within their first three years, the wheezing is transient and does not increase the risk of later asthma.

Asthma is a complex, heterogeneous disease involving both the airways and the immune system. Inflammatory responses, usually associated with atopy, lead to respiratory symptoms such as airway hyper-responsiveness, wheeze, cough and breathlessness.

The aim of this paper is to provide an up-to-date evidence-based summary of the issues around asthma and wheezing in the first years of life.

A consumer brochure on this topic is also available. These documents were produced by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.

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Asthma Series Paper 8: Asthma and Wheezing in the First Years of Life
© Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing 2005

Technical Writers

Jenny Zangger and Elizabeth Hall

Consumer Version

View the consumer version of the Asthma Series Brochure 8: Asthma and Wheezing in the First Years of Life

Disclaimer

The information contained in this paper has been expert reviewed and represents the available literature at the time of review. It is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Any questions regarding a medical diagnosis or treatment should be referred to a medical practitioner.