Maternal Knowledge and Practice About Risk Factors Of Asthma For Preschool Children In Assiut University Hospital

Abstract

Asthma is the most common chronic respiratory disorder in children The word asthma originates from an ancient Greek word meaning panting. It typically appears between age two and eight years. Boys have been shown to be at greater risk for astluna than girls. Astluna is a chronic inflanunatory disorder

of the airways characterized by an obstruction of airflow, which may be completely or partially reversed with or without specific tl1erapy. Astluna may have its onset at any age. Thirty percent of patients are symptomatic by one year of age, whereas 80-90 % of astlunatic children have tl1eir first symptoms before four to five years of age.

The cause of astluna is not known, but there is evidence that many factors

play a part.

Risk factors can. be personal characteristics inherited or acquired

and environmental characteristics. Risk factors are related to age, sex, race, outdoor pollution, cigarette smoking, viral infections and psychological factors.(?)

Asthma can be classified into mild intennittent, mild persistent, moderate persistent and severe persistent asthma. The onset of an attack may be abrupt or it may progress over several days and it frequently occurs at night, waking the child from sleep. Early signs of astluna include cough, wheezing, prolonged expiration, retraction, dyspnea, apprehension, restlessness and shortened speech, and late signs include decreased breath smmds, tachypnea, tachycardia, difficult speaking, anxiety, restlessness and hypoxia.

There has been a real increase in tl1e . prevalence of asthma in the community. The reasons for tins are tmclear. In Egypt, the prevalence of bronclual astluna in children three to four years of age is 8.3% with higher prevalence rate among males tl1an females, with a sex ratio of 1 : 0.68