It is important to have a discussion about asthma in children; its prevention, treatment strategies, new research and the complexity of managing asthma and allergies together. Every year during the back-to-school season, there is a significant spike in the number of hospital treatments required for children as a result of asthma attacks. The “September epidemic of asthma exacerbations” is an established phenomenon that happens across Canada every year. Approximately 20 per cent of annual hospital admissions for asthma of children in Canada occur in September. Remember the number 38!

• Dr. Malcolm R. Sears, MB, ChB, FRACP, FRCPC, Respirologist
  Professor of Medicine, McMaster University
  Research Director, Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health
  St. Joseph’s Healthcare