Study finds asthma 'stabilising'

An upward trend in asthma rates appears to have halted

Childhood asthma may have stabilised for the first time in decades, a study has shown.

Aberdeen University research indicates that the number of primary school children suffering from asthma in the past three years has not increased.

Figures released from the project last year had already suggested that levels of asthma may be levelling off.

More than 3,700 children were involved in the survey, which was first carried out by the university in 1964.

The study, funded by Asthma UK, was launched last May when questionnaires were given to Aberdeen primary school pupils in an attempt to monitor trends in allergic conditions.

ASTHMA STUDY FINDINGS Childhood asthma: 26% Childhood eczema: 26% Childhood hay fever: 19%

In another discovery, researchers found girls were just as likely as boys to suffer from the condition.

The report is the most recent study in a series, which started in 1964 and was followed by surveys in 1989, 1994 and 1999.

The questionnaire on children's health was completed by parents of 3,712 children from primaries three to seven at 32 schools in Aberdeen.

Overall, 26% of the children had suffered from asthma, 26% from eczema and 19% from hay fever at some point since birth.

'Epidemic passed'

The percentages of children who had suffered from eczema and hay fever have risen since 1999.

However, for the first time since the surveys began, the percentage of children in primaries five to seven who had suffered an asthma attack in the last three years had not increased, suggesting the peak of the "asthma epidemic"' may have passed.

Dr Geraldine McNeill, research fellow in the university's child health department, said: "These results show that childhood asthma and allergic diseases are extremely common in Aberdeen children, but they also provide some hope that for asthma the upward trend may now be over.

We mustn't be complacent as the UK has the highest prevalence of severe wheeze in children aged 13 to 14 years worldwide Marjory Burns Asthma UK Scotland

"The continuing increase in eczema and hay fever and the changing pattern of wheeze in girls compared to boys could provide clues to some of the factors which have contributed to the rise in allergic diseases in children.

"We suspect that there has been a change in some environmental factor which has different influences according to gender, but further research will be needed to find out what these factors could be."

She added that Aberdeen was unique worldwide in having a picture of trends in childhood asthma and allergic disease going back to the 1960s.

Marjory Burns, executive director of Asthma UK Scotland, said: "Recent evidence suggests that asthma prevalence may have plateaued in recent years but the reason for this trend is still unclear.

"However, we mustn't be complacent as the UK has the highest prevalence of severe wheeze in children aged 13 to 14 years worldwide."

The full results of the survey will be outlined in a seminar at the Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital on Thursday.