Asthma seems to be more common in developed countries and this phenomenon is still being studied and investigated by researchers around the world. Perhaps the only thing that is definite is that infants and children have greater chances of developing asthma if one or both parents have asthma or if one or both sides of the parent's family have asthmatic members.
Perhaps the most common symptom of asthma in infants and children is wheezing. However, it does not necessarily guarantee that when an infant or a child is wheezing, he or she is already a sufferer of it. There are actually other reasons why a child or an infant is wheezing so that's why it is not always correct to correlate wheezing instantly with asthma.
Since diagnosing or ruling out whether an infant or a child has asthma or not, some doctors usually decide to just treat the wheezing symptoms without really taking time to diagnose if this type of sickness is present or not. One good thing about wheezing is that infants who suffer from it usually outgrow it when they get older.
If you notice that your child is constantly wheezing, experiencing constant coughing fits that become more severe at night or after vigorous physical activities such as playing, take your child to a doctor because these may be signs of asthma.
The physician may also ask you if your child is having difficulty in breathing when the air is cold, when there are allergens (dust, pet fur or hair, strong or irritating odors, etc.), or smoke. You may also need to share the medical history of your family especially those that have something to do with respiratory or lung diseases such as asthma, sinus problems and allergies.
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