Asthma in Children Pocket Guide for Parents

Helping Your Child Manage Asthma: A Parent’s and Carer's Pocket Guide

Latest version: January 2026

Childhood asthma is a common long-term condition, but with the right care, children can live full, active, and healthy lives. This pocket guide is designed to help parents and carers understand what asthma is, how to recognise symptoms early, and how to manage the condition safely and effectively at home, at school, and during everyday activities.

The guide explains why asthma develops, including the role of genetics, allergies, viral infections, and environmental factors such as pollution and tobacco smoke. It outlines common symptoms—such as wheezing, coughing, breathlessness, and chest tightness—and highlights when wheezing may or may not indicate asthma. It also describes how doctors diagnose asthma using medical history, breathing tests, allergy testing, and response to treatment.