Guest Author - Amy Anaruk

Why did this happen to my child?

Parents of any child with a chronic illness, like asthma, can torture themselves with this question.

I�ve asked myself Why? about my own daughter over and over again, knowing I�ll probably never have an answer. The truth is, you can develop asthma at any time in your life, not just birth, and no one knows the exact cause. Scientists, doctors, and medical researchers pose numerous theories but have no definitive answer. They have, however, identified some risk factors.

These are the primary ones.

1. Allergies
Both asthma and allergies occur when the body�s immune system has a hypersensitive reaction to an innocuous substance. Suffering from allergies can unfortunately put you at greater risk for asthma. Although asthma is especially likely with severe food allergies, any allergy�including pollen, pet dander, dust mites, and mold�can make you susceptible.

2. Genetics
The tendency to develop asthma can run in families, so having one or both parents with asthma and/or allergies is a factor, too.

3. Low Birthweight
Prematurity alone does not predispose a baby to develop asthma. The low birth weight of premature babies is the main problem, so full-term infants that are born too small carry the same risk. This risk factor highlights the need for good health and nutrition during pregnancy.

4. Urban Settings
The pollution in cities is problematic here, as is the presence of cockroaches. For some people, the allergens in cockroaches can cause severe symptoms.

5. Industrial Work Settings
Adults can develop occupational asthma and severe allergies if they work in places that expose them to strong industrial chemicals.

6. Secondhand Smoke
Smokers have an increased risk, but the people around them do, too. Children are particularly vulnerable.

7. Gastrointestinal Reflux Disease (GERD)
In many people, these two conditions go hand-in-hand. Some research has shown that the risk works both ways�reflux can increase the severity of asthma and vice versa. The relationship between the two conditions is unclear, but asthma flares tend to lessen when the reflux is under control.

8. Obesity
Obesity is linked to a host of medical problems, including asthma.


The puzzle is why some people with most or all the above risk factors never develop asthma, and others with no risk factors do. Equally puzzling is the enormous rise in asthma cases in the developed world in the past twenty years. Developing countries are seeing an increase, too, but not nearly on the same level.

I�ll explore that topic more in future articles, but in the meantime remember to control those risk factors that you can control.