Asthma is the leading cause of chronic illness in children. It affects as many as 10%-12% of children in the United States alone and, for unknown reasons, is steadily increasing. In the United Kingdom, the amount of children is about the same.  Asthma can begin at any age (even in the very elderly), but most children have their first symptoms by the age of five.

There are many risk factors for developing childhood asthma. These include:

·         Nasal allergies (hay fever)

·         Eczema (allergic skin rash)

·         A family history of asthma

·         A family history of allergies

·         Frequent respiratory infections

·         Low birth weight

·         Exposure to tobacco smoke before or after birth

·         Black or Puerto-Rican ethnicity

·         Being raised in a low-income environment