Fight against the allergens in the home reduces children's asthma attacks

Personalized intervention to protect asthmatic children against exposure to allergens in the home and to reduce passive smoking reduces the frequency of asthma symptoms, a U.S. study shows.

Various studies in the past have suggested that reducing the exposure to indoor allergens can improve asthma but also showed the difficulty in reaching real results.

Wayne Morgan of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson and colleagues evaluated intensive intervention, with several visits by the home to consider what action to take, based on sensitivities of each child.

The measures concerned for example the collection of mattresses and pillows with allergen-impermeable protection, the use of vacuum cleaners with high efficiency particulate air filtration, brushes for carpet, an air purifier in case of passive smoking and sensitivity to allergens from cats and dogs or mold, elimination of cockroaches with pesticides. Educate parents about the problem of passive smoking was made.

The children were assessed regularly during the two years of the intervention and one year after.

A total of 937 children aged 5 to 11 years with asthma were included. Half have benefited from this program and the other half served as controls.

The intervention in the home of children with asthma has reduced the frequency of symptoms. The number of days with symptoms was over periods of 2 weeks on average 3.39 days against 4.2 days in the controls. The decline, although moderate, is statistically significant.

The beneficial effect persisted even a year after the end of the program: 2.62 days / 2 weeks with symptoms against 3.21 days in controls.

There was also a reduction (modest) visits to the doctor or emergency room and missed school days.

The researchers also showed that the intervention program was associated with an effective decrease in certain allergens in the bed and the floor. There was such a correlation between the decrease in mite allergens and reduced complications of asthma.