Pediatric asthma is a growing concern in China

Pediatric asthma is a growing concern in Mainland China

China, one of the most densely populated countries in the world, probably already has a major asthma problem among its youngest citizens. I'm going to try and post some more information in future posts, but we already know there have been few studies investigating the risk factors for pediatric asthma. The media has recently started picking up on the fact the rates of pediatric asthma have increased significantly in recent years. But the reality is we don't know how bad the problem is in actuality. And one of the problems with some research studies is that they rely solely on parents who self-report that their child has asthma or may have asthma.

According to one 2002 academic study in the American Journal of Epidemiology (156:977-983.) a child's environment from constant exposure to secondhand smoke; environmental pollution; and exposure to natural fossil fuel use and other residential allergens in their homes and communities all contribute to the rise of asthma. The study took place in Shunyi County, a suburban district of Beijing. Some twenty-five schools were randomly selected. Students who participated were 6–10 years and in the first to the fifth grades at each school.

One of the main issues with pediatric asthma is that many low to moderate income families cook with coal stoves and this is an issue regardless of whether they're living in a remote rural area or in urban areas. Some families also may use coal stoves or gas stoves as a nighttime heating source which is obviously an unsafe practice with potential short-term and long-term deleterious impact.

In looking at what percentage of China's population smokes, it is harder to get a reliable figure on how many Chinese women smoke. There at least some Chinese women report to smoking while pregnant, while other children experience secondhand smoke while in utero. An estimated 70% of Chinese men smoke. As this 2002 American Journal of Epidemiology states, "Studies have shown that smoking products, such as carbon monoxide and cotinine, that enter the bloodstream of the mother could cross into the fetus through the placenta with a diffusion gradient, and that both intrauterine and extrauterine smoke exposure is associated with a significant reduction in postbirth pulmonary function in infants."