Diseases and Conditions
Childhood asthma
What you can do
What to expect from your child's doctor
Overview
Symptoms
Causes
Risk factors
Complications
Prevention
Diagnosis
Treatment
Lifestyle and home remedies
Alternative medicine
Coping and support
Preparing for an appointment
Risk factors
Factors that might increase your child's likelihood of developing asthma include:
- Exposure to tobacco smoke, including before birth
- Previous allergic reactions, including skin reactions, food allergies or hay fever (allergic rhinitis)
- A family history of asthma or allergies
- Living in an area with high pollution
- Obesity
- Respiratory conditions, such as a chronic runny or stuffy nose (rhinitis), inflamed sinuses (sinusitis) or pneumonia
- Heartburn (gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD)
- Being male
- Being black or Puerto Rican
