Asthma: Both Commonplace and Dangerous

Asthma is a common respiratory illness affecting one in four children raised in urban settings. It's characterized by an inflammation of the airways, leading to difficulty breathing; severe asthma attacks can lead to loss of consciousness or death.

The number of children diagnosed with asthma has been steadily climbing over the past decade. Medical science is still not entirely sure why. To compensate, there has been an increase in products that claim to be hypoallergenic or otherwise beneficial to asthma sufferers. Among these are bedclothes and apparel, such as baby sleeping bags.

Asthma and Your Child

Asthma in an infant is a troublesome and potentially life-threatening issue. It can complicate breathing and heart rate, whether sleeping or awake; it can cause a child to turn frightening shades of blue or purple, or to pass out entirely. Parents of infants with asthma would be wise to invest in hypoallergenic alternatives for their infant's necessities, as much as possible.

Hypoallergenic baby sleeping bags, cot bedding, and even drapery can be found today in most department stores. While there is no guarantee these products will prevent an asthma attack, they're less likely to provoke one, and are generally made with quality and health consciousness in mind.

Baby sleeping bags are essentially a bag with holes for the arms and neck and a zipper closure. Some varieties come with removable 'wings' for swaddling or zip-away sleeves. Baby sleeping bags were created to reduce the risk of SIDS by replacing loose blankets with a fixed covering for infants. You can find baby sleeping bags made from many different materials, including natural and synthetic hypoallergenic blends, whereas relatively few manufacturers of pyjamas can say their clothes are hypoallergenic. Most baby sleeping bags are easy to care for, sturdy, and long-lasting. Baby sleeping bags are so popular, some hospitals even give them to parents as a sort of "welcome baby" gift!

Caring for an Asthmatic Baby

With an infant who might go intro respiratory distress at any time, it's a good idea to minimize potential choking and suffocation hazards even more than one might with a perfectly healthy baby. Baby sleeping bags present an inexpensive and highly valuable alternative to cot blankets. All soft bedding and stuffed animals should be removed from the infant's cot; a crib should contain nothing more than a firm properly-sized mattress covered with a tightly fitting sheet. Baby sleeping bags can help ward off the chill if the baby seems cold.

A breathing monitor might give some peace of mind, and when used together with baby sleeping bags, the risk of SIDS is cut in half. Make sure all the baby's caregivers know what to do in case of an asthma attack, and have an emergency plan prepared. While most often set off by triggers, asthma attacks are unpredictable and potentially fatal for small infants. Your safest bet is to minimize exposure to triggers and always be prepared.