Asthma question....

**Ra Ra Superstar** · 30-05-2011 19:04

I'm getting some conflicting information and I'm pretty confused.

At what age can asthma be diagnosed? DS who is 13months was diagnosed with acute asthma today however a barrage of people are telling me that asthma cannot be diagnosed AT ALL before the age of 2? 7? 3? (the age changes with every person's opinion and all of their opinions are apparantly backed up by specialists)

Anyone out there know the facts? TIA

**waterlily** · 30-05-2011 19:11

I had Asthma as a baby and was diagnosed at 10 months but Mum was told that can not make a proper diagnoses till 2 because of how much a baby's airwaves change. I went back at 2 and had more tests done and yep it was Asthma.

Things may have changed since then.

Edit: I do know my 9 Month old cousin os in hospital with Asthma ATM so I'd actually say it has changed since I was a baby. Lol

**Theophania** · 30-05-2011 19:13

DS is almost 2 and a half and has just been diagnosed with asthma. I have been told by the docs and hospy that they cannot really diagnose asthma before 2 at the earliest as childrens airways are still so small there is no telling if it is or not.

DD has had bronchiolitis a few times already and she is 1, they say infants who have that alot when babies are at more risk of developing asthma, but bronchiolitis is often confused with asthma as it has much the same symptoms.

**beebs** · 30-05-2011 19:17

My DS1 wasn't diagnosed until 4 even though he had attacks all the time. And my DS3 is 22months and they won't confirm diagnosis even though he gets shocking asthma. They just basically said that some babies who get asthma attacks will grow out of it so they are reluctant to diagnose until they are older. They basically say DS3 "Probably has asthma" and he prob won't get a proper diag until 3 or 4.

**Amara** · 30-05-2011 19:19

The head paed at the hospital my son was born at said they don't diagnose asthma until at least 2. I've heard of kids being diagnosed before that, but that's what I was told when I asked if the breathing difficulties could have been caused by asthma as both his dad & I had a history of asthma.

**kiz** · 31-05-2011 10:56

My little girl is 10mo and she's just been dx

We have an awsm Paed that doesn't pull punches with diagnosing obvious things. Bree has been hospitalised 10 times in the past month for breathing issues needing oxygen. It may turn out to be something else, but in the meantime we can use the preventative and qualify for portable oxygen.
Everyone that indignantly tells u they can't be dx younger then 2,3,7 etc have only been told that by reluctant Paeds. U must have a good one too!!!

Sent from my i (couldn't live without it) Phone

**Ra Ra Superstar** · 31-05-2011 18:43

Originally Posted by kiz

My little girl is 10mo and she's just been dx

We have an awsm Paed that doesn't pull punches with diagnosing obvious things. Bree has been hospitalised 10 times in the past month for breathing issues needing oxygen. It may turn out to be something else, but in the meantime we can use the preventative and qualify for portable oxygen.
Everyone that indignantly tells u they can't be dx younger then 2,3,7 etc have only been told that by reluctant Paeds. U must have a good one too!!!

Sent from my i (couldn't live without it) Phone

And I trust my doctor 200%. I am glad that he's acted because It was getting very hard to watch DS fighting to breathe and not knowing what on earth was happening.

We have been trialing all sorts of methods to understand more what has been happening and ventalin and pred mix have been the only successes so I don't know if that makes the difference in his diagnosis

**MrsLozza** · 31-05-2011 18:53

Children can definitely be diagnosed with Asthma before the age of two, the issue is that some bronchodilators (like ventolin) can be ineffective in younger children (under 2). Some babies and toddlers do not have the receptors on their lungs to repsond to ventolin and therefore it is ineffective. That's why some Dr's are reluctant to diagnose it, until they are old enough to have the receptors and to determine if they are ventolin responsive or not.

**TripleTime** · 31-05-2011 18:59

Depends who you talk to & how many episodes the child has had before they will Dx.

A was 10 months when Dx but she was also in hospital at the time with respiratory illness'. T was 2, again Dx after a hospital stay & after many respiratory issues.

I was Dx at 7 & still going.

It really depends on how many episodes & to what degree they where. Kids with chronic lung are generally Dx before 12 months, whether that is officially or is a different story.

T was unofficially Dx at 21 months but treated as an asthmatic until officially Dx.

It's my phone & I'll cry if I want to.

**sjay** · 16-06-2011 19:43

it definitely just depends on the doctor, DS is 11 months and has been unofficially diagnosed with asthma, but they said most paeds don't like to diagnose before 18months
but from his history and the fact that his daddy has asthma it's a pretty clear diagnosis, we're lucky though because he is already responsive to ventolin, however I am currently trying to look into natural ways to help with his asthma to use along with the ventolin