Abstract
Background: Parents of young children are frequently worried about the potential side effects of asthma treatment on their child's behaviour.
Aim: To examine whether preschool children using inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) for asthma are more likely to have more behavioural problems compared with healthy reference group.
Methods: We included 81 children 2-5 years of age with persistent asthma symptoms who were using ICS. During 3 months follow-up, adherence to ICS treatment was recorded by an electronical logging device (Smartinhaler®). The parents completed the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) to assess behavioural problems; results were compared to published reference groups of healthy children.
Results: The median (interquartile range) adherence to ICS was 92 (78-97)%. There were no significant differences in CBCL scores (total, internalizing, externalizing problems) between children on ICS and healthy children (all p values > 0.2). Children with asthma were significantly more likely to have somatic complaints (p=0.001) and significantly less likely to have anxious/depressive symptoms (p=0.01) than the reference group.
Conclusions: Maintenance treatment with ICS, taken daily as prescribed, is not associated with an increased risk of behavioural problems in preschool children.
- © 2011 ERS