Stress raises the risk of asthma attacks in children

Children with asthma face quadruple the risk of an attack after stressful events in their lives, according to a study published last week in the journal Thorax.

Researchers from McGill University in Montreal studied 60 children ages 6 to 13 who had suffered from asthma for at least three years. The children were asked to keep daily records of acute attacks and their breath strength for 18 months. Researchers regularly interviewed the children and their parents about stressful life events.

After the analysis of data, the children were found to be four times as likely to experience a sudden worsening of symptoms within two days of a traumatic experience. The most upsetting events were cited as moving, births, deaths, separations and changes in family relationships.

Researchers found double the risk of symptoms worsening again about six weeks later.

The study’s authors suggested the increased likelihood of attacks was due to a variety of physiological and immune processes involving the nervous system as well as hormone and brain chemical regulation.