Loading...
Anti-inflammatory therapy is recommended for children with asthma who have persistent symptoms; however, the long-term effects of such treatment, particularly on growth, are unknown.
In the first of 2 studies, a North American multicenter research group randomly assigned 1041 children (age range, 5 to 12) with mild-to-moderate asthma to receive budesonide (200 μg twice daily), nedocromil (8 mg twice daily), or placebo. All children used albuterol for asthma symptoms. Children were followed for 4 to 6 years: No significant differences were found between groups in the primary lung function outcome, FEV1 after bronchodilation. However, per 100 person-years, children given budesonide had significantly fewer hospitalizations (budesonide, 2.5; ned…