Preschoolers with persistent asthma symptoms may be more likely to get into fights with their peers or otherwise have more behavior problems than children with less severe asthma, a study finds. "These findings suggest a clear need for an early biopsychosocial approach to care for vulnerable children with asthma," according to study author Dr. Jill S. Halterman, of the University of Rochester School of Medicine in Rochester, New York, and colleagues. "The combined burden of asthma and behavior difficulties could have a significant impact on children and their families," Halterman told Reuters Health. The findings are based on an analysis of surveys completed by parents of children in an urban school district who were entering kindergarten. The surveys included questions about the children's medical history, including whether the child had asthma and whether the symptoms were persistent or intermittent, and about the children's behavior. Fifteen percent of the 1,619 children included in the study experienced asthma symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, or shortness of breath, and 8 percent had persistent symptoms, which woke them from sleep more than one night a month or required a visit to the emergency department on more than three occasions during the previous year. --More 22 52 Local Time 19 52 GMT
