What you really need to know about caring for a child with

Asthma

Dr Robert Buckman

Introduction by John Cleese

If you are a parent of a child with asthma this little book will give you an instant easy-to-read guide to many issues such as what is asthma, what actually happens in an attack, as well as many other explanations and information you will need to have on hand.

Above all Dr Buckman urges parents not to panic, as your anxiety will be conveyed to the child. But, by the time you have taken all Dr Buckman’s recommendations on board it will be hard not to! Instructions for dealing with house mites, putting soft toys in the freezer, getting rid of the carpets and lawn, and replacing the flowers in your garden with low-pollen flowers, brushing the cat, etc, will keep you more than busy.

However, many of the guidelines are important, and could be life-saving. And if your child has asthma you will appreciate knowing more about medication, especially steroids, understanding peak-flow meters, nebulizers, inhalers, emotional triggers, how to deal with the child’s school, and when to recognize that you have an emergency on your hands. Make sure you know the danger signs so you can call for help as soon as it is needed.

Every parent will appreciate the advice Dr Buckman gives over finding a doctor your child likes and whom you respect. He also suggests that if your child is about to have any medical treatment you learn just what it will entail so that you can prepare the child in good time. Encouraging your child to take responsibility for his asthma seems sensible advice, as a child is less likely to rebel against taking medication later. Teach your child from an early age to recognize his own particular warning signs. This could be a life-saver.

There are a lists of useful contact addresses for parents in the US, Canada and the UK.

© Jill Curtis 2002

Lebhar-Friedman Books    $9.95     £6.95   ISBN 0867307978 

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