Asthma in Children: Back to School 2019

Every year, there is an increase in asthma attacks among children at the start of the school year. Santé publique France publishes a weekly update on trends in visits to emergency rooms and at SOS Médecins clinics.

Every year in September, there is an increase in asthma attacks among children under the age of 15 during the first two weeks of the school year. Respiratory infections, caused by viruses that are common in group settings, can trigger asthma attacks. However, other factors appear to play a role in this back-to-school spike, including exposure to allergens at school and the discontinuation of long-term asthma treatment during summer vacation.

Update as of October 8, 2019

  • Nationwide, among children under 15, there has been an increase in visits to the SOS Médecins network for asthma (+8%) and a stabilization in visits and hospitalizations following visits to the OSCOUR® network. In both networks, the number of visits remains lower than in the previous three years.

  • In the Indian Ocean, emergency room visits are stable, while the percentage of hospitalizations following a visit has risen from 21% to 28%.

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Santé publique France and the National Health Insurance Service are reminding parents of children with asthma of some tips to help reduce the risk of asthma attacks as the school year begins:

  • Parents are encouraged to be even more attentive than usual to their child’s breathing difficulties in order to recognize as early as possible any symptoms that might indicate a worsening of their asthma;

  • without medical advice, the child’s asthma treatment should not be interrupted during the summer break;

  • if treatment has been interrupted without a doctor’s advice, maintenance treatment should be resumed 7 to 10 days before school starts or as soon as possible.

The personalized action plan developed by the child’s doctor explains how to manage such a situation: it is important to follow it when necessary and to have the necessary medications at home to implement this action plan. If in doubt or with questions, the child’s doctor will be able to answer parents’ questions.

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