Parents and teachers urged to be vigilant as, on average, four times as many children are hospitalised with asthma in Wales following their return to the classroom.
As children prepare to head back to the classrooms, Asthma + Lung UK Cymru warns many could be at risk of having a potentially life-threatening asthma attack. Over 40,000 children live with asthma in Wales 1.
The most recent official figures covering 2023-2025 show an average 304% rise in the number of emergency asthma hospital admissions for children aged 5-16 in September (96) compared to August (24) 2.
The charity highlights that preventer inhaler routines can often slip during the summer holidays, making children more vulnerable to asthma symptoms when they return to school and come into contact with common triggers such as viruses, colds and dust. The return to school is a well-recognised period when asthma symptoms can worsen, but most exacerbations can be prevented through good asthma management, preparation and awareness.
If you are a parent or carer of a child with asthma and are concerned about their return to school, you can help reduce their risk of an asthma attack by doing the following:
- Make sure your child is using their steroid preventer inhaler daily, as prescribed. This helps prevent your child’s airways from getting inflamed, which can cause breathlessness or trigger an asthma attack
- Check that your child has their reliever inhaler in their school bag so that it’s on hand when they’re experiencing symptoms. If they use a spacer, they should take this with them too
- Arrange for your child to have an annual asthma review with their GP or asthma nurse to pick up on early symptoms and ensure they’re using their inhalers correctly
- Ask your child’s GP if they can get an extra reliever inhaler to give to their school for emergencies. This should be kept in an easily accessible place that staff are aware of
- Make sure to share your child’s up to date asthma action plan with their school so they’re aware of their triggers and what symptoms to look out for, and know how to manage any sudden flare ups
- If a child is having an asthma attack and their symptoms are not improving with a reliever inhaler or by using their asthma action plan, call 999 and follow our asthma attack advice for children
Professor Isabel Oliver, Chief Medical Officer for Wales, said:
“The best way to protect children with asthma is to prevent an attack before it happens. Keeping up daily preventer inhaler routines, making sure reliever inhalers are always close at hand, and having an up-to-date asthma action plan in place can make a huge difference.
“It’s so important for parents, carers and teachers to be vigilant as children return to school. A few simple steps now could help prevent potentially life-threatening asthma attacks.”
Joseph Carter, Head of Asthma + Lung Cymru, said:
“Each September, there is a rise in the number of asthma attacks, unfortunately leading to more hospital visits. An increase in viruses, coughs, colds, and dust mites in schools can trigger asthma symptoms and cause flare ups. However, you can help reduce this risk through proper asthma management, preparation and awareness.
“We are asking parents and teachers to look out for signs that their child or pupil’s asthma may be worsening and if it is, to take urgent action. The symptoms could include breathlessness, wheezing, coughing, or chest tightness.
“Over the hectic summer holidays, preventer inhaler routines can sometimes slip, which can leave children much more vulnerable to an asthma attack when they return to school and are around more triggers.
“We are encouraging schools to download our fantastic free Asthma at School poster which can be found on our website, so they are prepared for the new term and know what to do if a pupil does have an asthma attack.”
Simon, who lives near Tenby in West Wales, is Dad to Otis aged 7 who has asthma. He said:
“Returning to nursery and then school after the summer holidays was a worrying time. Within a couple of weeks, he’d picked up a virus that could trigger an asthma attack. The GPs saw him, but within 24 hrs he was in A&E unable to breathe.
“The respiratory clinic prescribed him a preventer inhaler, which we used daily, morning and night and it improved things dramatically, but we were still ending up in A&E, where they’d give Otis oxygen and steroids. Sometimes, he would need an overnight stay. We were also given a reliever inhaler too.
“Now Otis has turned seven, he is a lot more resilient and because of help from a visiting asthma specialist pharmacist at his school, we have been able to fine tune his medication and have a robust asthma action plan in place.
“For example, we know that when Otis goes back to school after the summer term, he will no doubt pick up a virus. What we do now, is keep a close eye on him and be more vigilant if he’s coming down with a cold. We monitor his asthma using a peak flow test and if this shows his peak flow readings are dropping, we adjust his medication in line with his asthma action plan. We did this last year, and it meant that, even though he did get a virus, it did not trigger an asthma attack, and we did not end up in A&E.”
