September 1-7 is National Asthma Week in Australia. In this article and video, The Kids Research Institute Australia asthma researcher Associate Professor Graham Hall covers off some facts you might not know about this serious respiratory disease, and how it affects children.
Asthma affects about half a million Australian children and is one of the most common reasons why kids need to see a doctor or go to emergency. That’s why Associate Professor Graham Hall, Head of Children’s Lung Health at The Kids, says it’s so important to know more about the condition and what to do in an emergency.
“With one in eight children suffering from asthma – and around 400 asthma deaths in Australia every year – it’s vital that we carry out research in the area to improve diagnostic tools and better manage the severity and occurrence of asthma attacks,” he said.
At The Kids Research Institute Australia, the Children's Lung Health research team are studying how and why asthma develops in children. The Childhood Asthma Study and Raine Study have been following groups of children into their teens and beyond, collecting information which includes details of how immune responses triggered in the lungs by early respiratory infections and allergies interact to drive this disease.
They believe a key to guarding against asthma lies in aiding the young immune system to "switch on" protective mechanisms which actively suppress the development of allergic sensitisation.
To learn more about the asthma research happening at the institute, visit our asthma research page.
You can also find out more about asthma by visiting Asthma Australia.