Children's respiratory disease
- The most commonly reported long-term illnesses in children and babies are conditions of the respiratory system. About 1 in 8 boys and 1 in 10 girls report a long-term respiratory disease[i]
- The prevalence of respiratory disease in children is greater than that from all other chronic illnesses combined[ii]
- One in four admissions to children’s wards in the
UK is because of a respiratory disease[iii]
- One in five children seen in the out-patient clinic has a respiratory illness as the main medical problem[iv]
- There were 775 respiratory neonatal deaths in England and Wales in 2000[v]
- Among respiratory illnesses, acute viral upper respiratory infections and asthma are the commonest with asthma being the most chronic disease in children[vi]
- About a fifth of children (21%) have a diagnosis of asthma[vii]
[i] Burden of Lung Disease (2006) 2nd Edition British Thoracic Society
[ii] LAIA
[iii] Lung report III, British Lung Foundation (2003)
[iv] Lung report III, British Lung Foundation (2003)
[v] ONS
[vi] http://www.laia.ac.uk/2003_2/2003_2.htm
[vii] Burden of Lung Disease (2006) 2nd Edition British Thoracic Society
