A study conducted by researchers at the University of Wisconsin Hospital, Madison has concluded that wheezing illness in childhood caused by rhinovirus is associated with the development of asthma. The doctors reported that almost 90% of kids who suffered from wheezing related to rhinovirus at 3 years of age developed asthma by the age of 6 years. Also, episodes of rhinovirus wheezing may help in revealing children who are predisposed to the disease.

Researchers at Macchi Hospital in Varese, Italy have proposed that sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) can prove beneficial in preventing mild persistent asthma and new skin sensitizations in children suffering from allergic rhinitis. The doctors also report that the therapy has the potential to reduce bronchial hyperactivity. Based on the 3-year long study, SLIT was found to be safe for children, when used in the recommended doses.

According to an article published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, lower rates of asthma are found in children who live on tree-lined streets. The pattern held constant, even changes were made in sources of pollution, levels of affluence, and population density, all of which would be considered likely to influence the results. The authors note that asthma rates in children can thus be curbed by encouraging them to play outdoors more, or by improving the quality of the air.

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