MORE THAN ONE in ten parents of children with asthma have had to bring their child to an emergency department because of the condition in the past year.
Research conducted by by the Asthma Society of Ireland ahead of World Asthma day tomorrow also shows that one in five of all children in Ireland are affected by the condition.
Of 750 parents questioned, one in four had to go to an out-of-hours GP service to cope with worsening asthma symptoms with the management of their child’s asthma at school a concern in over half of cases.
The society say that the most effective way to keep a child safe was to have a defined asthma management plan in place.
“We want to assure parents of children with asthma that it is a very manageable condition, but simple steps must be taken to ensure that an asthma management plan is in place,” says CEO Sharon Cosgrove.
Asthma management plans improve health outcomes for patients with asthma and we aim to provide parents with the support and information to help them manage their child’s asthma, and reduce the numbers of asthma patients needing emergency or out of hours care.
Cosgrove added that it is concerning that almost 1 in 8 parents may be relying on emergency or out-of-hours care.
Of the parents surveyed, 42 per cent have arranged for their child’s school to keep a spare inhaler and 1 in 4 parents have taken no action to manage their child’s asthma at school.
The research was supported by pharmacy chain Boots Ireland will be providing free ‘Let’s Breathe Easy’ asthma consultations and support packs nationwide throughout this month.
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