Preschool Wheeze is Not Asthma: A Clinical Dilemma – Authors’ Reply

Excerpt

To the Editor: We thank the commentators for their interest in our article entitled ‘Preschool wheeze is not asthma: a clinical dilemma’ [1] and the comments they have made regarding the condition. Wheeze is a common symptom in children and it is important that the clinicians confirm what the parents actually mean by wheeze [1, 2]. The commentators have highlighted an increasing incidence of preschool wheezing in children, however, it is important to note that this may vary according to the criteria that were used to define the episodes. A prevalence study involving children aged 1 to 5 y from the USA and Europe found that one-third of the children suffered from recurrent asthma-like symptoms [3]. Another study in the UK amongst preschool children aged 1 to 4 y described the prevalence of recurrent wheezing (one or more episodes) in 1-y-old children was 25.5 % in South Asians and 35.6 % in white infants [4]. …