References

1) Nearly 5 million children in America have asthma.
American Thoracic Society Update: Future directions for research on diseases of the lung. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (1998) 158:320-334.

2) Nearly one in 13 school-aged children has asthma.
National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Information Survey, 1999.

3) Over 10 million school days are missed each year by school children experiencing asthma-related problems.
United States. National Institutes of Health National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. Asthma: A Concern for Minority Populations. Jan. 1997.

4) Asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood.
National Institutes of Health National Heart Lung Blood Institute. Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma.

5) Asthma in children has increased significantly in both numbers and severity over the past 15 years.
National Institutes of Health National Heart Lung Blood Institute. Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma.

The number of children under age 18 who have asthma has increased every year since 1985. In fact asthma is now at epidemic proportions worldwide, especially among school-aged children.
United States. Centers for Disease Control. Forecasted State-Specific estimates of Self-Reported Asthma Prevalence-1998 Morbidity and Mortality (Dec 4, 1998) 47:1022-1025.47:1022-1025.

6) Asthma is the leading cause of hospitalizations among children
United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vital and Health Statistics. National Hospital Discharge Survey: Annual Summary, 1993. (Aug. 1995) DHHS Publication No. PHS 95-1782.

7) Six to eight percent of children with asthma have food allergies which can trigger asthma symptoms.
Food Allergy News, a publication of the Food Allergy Network, Volume 6, Number 1, October-November 1996, Update on Food Allergies and Asthma, by Hugh A. Sampson, M.D.

8) Children with asthma make more than 2.7 million physician visits annually.
American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology Initiatives. Update on Pediatric Asthma: Promoting Best Practice.

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