Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
23 July 2014 08:07
Under-18s who use corticosteroid asthma inhalers may suffer from reduced growth rate, research shows
Research has shown that asthma inhalers can stunt the growth of children.
A study evaluating more than 8,000 under-18s found that use of the common inhaler reduces growth rates by about half a centimetre during the first year of treatment.
However, doctors have warned it is "vital" that parents continue to allow their children to use the "life-saving" medicine.
And at this time of the year it is also worthwhile for parents to remember to take their children's inhalers on holiday and take out asthma travel insurance which will cover symptoms should the sufferer's condition worsen while away from home.
The study, published by the Cochrane Collection think tank, said with lower doses of the drug, the effect on growth can be minimised, and growth can return to normal after the first few years of therapy.
Lead author Dr Linjie Zhang, from the Federal University of Rio Grande in Brazil, said that reduced growth is "less pronounced in subsequent years, is not cumulative, and seems minor compared to the known benefits of the drugs for controlling asthma and ensuring full lung growth."
Meanwhile, Samantha Walker, director of research and policy at the charity Asthma UK, said the report was good news for asthma sufferers as it showed the side-effects of inhaled corticosteroids were "relatively minor".
"No parent should therefore stop their children taking these lifesaving medicines", she added.
Dr Glenis Scadding, consultant physician in allergy a at the Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital in London, said the preventer medication helps cut the death rate from asthma.
With the condition still linked to thousands of deaths each year, she stresses it is vital that parents do not stop giving their children asthma inhaled corticosteroid, with the reported effects on growth being described as a "small price to pay" for to ward off potentially lethal asthma attacks.
14 August 2018
Passengers arriving at Heathrow Airport last month faced queues of over two and a half hours at passport control, new figures have revealed.
[more...]
11 August 2018
Hundreds of Ryanair flights will not take off as planned on Friday due to pilot strikes in five countries.
10 August 2018
Fad diets that cut out carbs while increasing fat consumption could lead to an increased risk of diabetes, according to new research.
09 August 2018
HIV testing has become even more accessible after a self-testing kit was made available from a High Street retailer.
08 August 2018
Women patients are more likely to survive a heart attack if they are treated by a female doctor, a new US study has revealed.
07 August 2018
The head of British Airways has branded two-hour queues facing travellers at Heathrow's passport control as a "border farce."
04 August 2018
Simple factors such as gender and body mass can help doctors to personalise care for patients with type 2 diabetes and avoid harmful side effects, according to a study.
03 August 2018
Gatwick Express must no longer claim it runs "non-stop to Victoria station in half an hour" and "in just 30 minutes" unless it can achieve the time in most cases, a watchdog has ruled.
02 August 2018
A charity is calling for greater access to respite support after it emerged that 72% of Britain's 700,000 young carers feel lonely and isolated during the summer holidays.
01 August 2018
A plan to build new rail links with Heathrow Airport and connect Windsor's two train stations have been submitted to the Government.
31 July 2018
The head of International Airlines Group (IAG), the company that owns British Airways, is 'optimistic' about a legal challenge to end crippling strikes.
27 July 2018
UK holidaymakers heading on staycations this summer could be losing out on millions of pounds worth of savings by booking train tickets at the last minute, a study has revealed.