A warm scarf or turtleneck-style neck-warmer that covers over the nose and mouth keeps the air a child breathes warm enough to ward off cold temperature-related asthma symptoms.
Winter usually ushers in plenty of exciting outdoor activities for kids, like sledding and snowball fights. It’s a lot of fun, but the chilly air can be tough on kids with asthma.
“The cold, dry air of winter can really irritate a child’s asthma,” says Amy Burack, RN, MA, AE-C, program manager of Children’s Hospital Boston’s Community Asthma Programs, a division of the hospital’s Community Asthma Initiative (CAI).
And when asthma symptoms flair, it leads to more than discomfort. For many children, it can lead to a trip to the Emergency Department or worse, hospitalization. Asthma continues to be the leading admitting diagnosis at Children’s Hospital Boston.
To counteract those numbers Burack and her colleagues at the CAI have worked hard with families in local communities to help educate people about how to better manage their kids’ asthma. In five years the Initiative has successfully contributed to cost savings by reducing Emergency Department visits and hospitalizations and improved quality of life through a reduction in lost school days for children and missed work days for caregivers.
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on January 10, 2011
Everyday Children’s Community Asthma Initiative helps patients like Marquis Lewis manage their asthma.
For 17-year-old Marquis Lewis, it begins with a hacking, relentless cough. His heart pounds, his neck strains and his chest sinks in—all signals of his lungs’ desperate fight to capture even the smallest bit of air. “It gets real tight,” Marquis says, pointing to his chest. “It’s like I’m fighting just to breathe.”
Marquis, a Children’s Hospital Boston patient, is describing an acute asthma attack—a scenario that’s all too familiar to seven million U.S. children. The most common chronic childhood disease, asthma causes a narrowing and swelling of the airways in the lungs. With proper management and the correct use of medication, children with asthma can usually live normal, active lives. But it has no cure, and when it’s not kept under control, it can be debilitating and even fatal.
Marquis was 18 months old when he experienced his first attack. It was a bout so severe that he was hospitalized in Children’s intensive care unit (ICU) for two days. For the Lewis family, these early attacks were only the first chapter in what would become a long and grueling cycle of sleepless nights, absent school days and financial and emotional strain. Full story »
Just because your child suffers from asthma doesn’t mean he or she can’t enjoy running, swimming and other outdoor play made possible by the long, bright days of summer! In fact, when done properly physical activity can improve the strength and efficiency of their heart and lungs, as well as their attitude, self-esteem and confidence.
The Healthy Family Fun website, a project of Children’s Hospital Boston and Kohl’s Department Stores providing families with information on how to eat better and get more exercise on a budget, just released some helpful tips on how to get your asthma sufferer off the couch and on the playground. Written by Amy Burack, RN, MA, AE-C and Community Asthma Programs Manager at Children’s, the tips provide practical advice for parents about where, when and how their child with asthma should play outside this summer. It also touches on the importance of an asthma management plan, and how parents can easily create one with the help of their child’s pediatrician.
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on February 18, 2010
by Devika Rao, MD, Pulmonary Fellow
For a pediatric pulmonologist, the winter brings numerous questions from parents and other physicians regarding the management of recurring breathing problems in infants. Some of these infants have colds and some have chronic wheezing.
Some are hospitalized with bronchiolitis – an inflammation of the small airways of the lung. Bronchiolitis is typically caused by viruses, most commonly the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and infection rates peak from December to March. Symptoms range from just a cold with a runny nose, to wheezing or even severe difficulty breathing requiring hospitalization. Some of the many known risk factors that predispose children to bronchiolitis include daycare attendance, tobacco smoke exposure and prematurity. Full story »
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on November 13, 2009
We’ve received a lot of questions from parents who want to know if the H1N1 vaccine is safe for children with asthma and what complications could result if an asthmatic child is infected with H1N1. We consulted with Children’s Hospital Boston’s associate chief of general pediatrics, Joanne Cox, MD, and reviewed the latest reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to bring you the most recent information. Full story »
Do you have a Children's Hospital Boston story you'd like heard? By sharing your Children's story you can be a great source of inspiration and encouragement to families who are going through similar situations. And it’s a great way to find support by connecting with others. Share your story today »
Just because your child suffers from asthma doesn’t mean he or she can’t enjoy running, swimming and other outdoor play made possible by the long, bright days of summer! In fact, when done properly physical activity can improve the strength and efficiency of their heart and lungs, as well as their attitude, self-esteem and confidence.
Other stories we’ve been reading:
by Devika Rao, MD, Pulmonary Fellow
We’ve received a lot of questions from parents who want to know if the H1N1 vaccine is safe for children with asthma and what complications could result if an asthmatic child is infected with H1N1. We consulted with Children’s Hospital Boston’s associate chief of general pediatrics, Joanne Cox, MD, and reviewed the latest reports from the 
