Inhaler Devices for Asthma in Children

About 1out of 10 children in the United States has asthma, according to Children & Asthma in America, and many suffer frequently from asthma attacks. Unfortunately, some children may be suffering because they are using devices that are inappropriate for their condition and age. With that in mind, here's the scoop on which inhaler devices are most appropriate for your child's age group.

What Is Asthma?

• Asthma is a chronic lung inflammation that causes the airways to narrow. During an asthma attack, the smooth muscles in the bronchial tubes narrow even further, and the airways inflame and swell.

Asthma Devices for Babies and Children Under Four

• For infants and children under the age of four, a pressurized aerosol inhaler with a spacer is an effective way to administer asthma medication.

  Pressurized aerosol inhalers (or simply "inhalers") are canisters containing liquid medicine. When the canister is pressed down, the medication releases into the patient's mouth. Spacers (also sometimes called aerosol-holding chambers) are plastic or metal tubes that slow the delivery of the medication from an inhaler, helping it to reach immature lungs more easily. Spacers also help reduce the amount of medication that reaches the baby's mouth, decreasing chances of developing yeast infections.

  Often, a nebulizer is used instead of or in addition to a spacer and inhaler. A nebulizer turns liquid medications into a mist that is easy to inhale. Typically, babies breathe this mist through a face mask.

Devices for Children Four to Eight

• For young school-aged children, pressurized inhalers with spacers are still often used. In addition, dry powder inhalers (DPIs) may be used. DPIs are often in the form of a capsule that's placed inside an inhaler; the inhaler is then placed into the mouth, and the child inhales deeply, then holds his breath for around 10 seconds. These can be troublesome for some young children, because if the patient doesn't inhale strongly, the powder doesn't break down into small enough particles to effectively treat the child.

  Sometimes a breath-actuated inhaler is also used for children in this age group. These spray a dose of medicine when the patient begins inhaling; these can work more effectively than DPIs for young children with lower lung capacity.

Devices for Children Older than Eight

• For older children, all types of devices useful for treating children are appropriate, depending upon the patient's needs. This includes dry-powder inhalers, pressurized aerosol inhalers or pressurized aerosol inhalers with a spacer, and breath-actuated inhalers.

Importance of the Right Device

• According to Children & Asthma in America, children miss 21 million school days because their asthma isn't well controlled. One in 10 children missed more than two weeks of school because of their asthma, and over a third of parents missed work to help their asthmatic child. Given the potentially serious nature of poorly controlled asthma, it's vital for parents to work with doctors to find the best inhaler devices for their child.