Asthma and prednisone

Pediatrics for Parents, June, 1995

For children with severe asthma or repeated asthma attacks, prednisone can work miracles. A short course of treatment with prednisone often leads to a rapid resolution of the wheezing. However, there are concerns about the repeated use of prednisone.

Prednisone is a steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. It works by depressing the body's immune system, lessening its ability to fight infections. It's this action - immunosuppression - that concerns doctors. Does over-use of prednisone in children increase their risk for common acute infections?

A study from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine compared the infection rate of asthmatic children treated and not treated with prednisone. They found no difference in the infection rates of the two groups. Even children who received 20 or more doses of prednisone in one year had no more infections than asthmatic children who took no prednisone.

If your asthmatic child needs prednisone to control his symptoms, you should feel comfortable giving it. This "wonder drug" doesn't seem to increase an otherwise healthy child's risk of infection.

Family Practice News, 2/15/96, p. 55.