Asthma attacks triple as hospitalisations reach four year high

  • ITV Wales' Carole Green reports.

The number of children being hospitalised with asthma attacks triples during the month of September, new data has revealed.

After the start of the new term, the rate increases by 175%, with charity Asthma and Lung UK warning hospital admission rates amongst school children is on the rise and has hit a four year high.

Eight year old Huw, from Anglesey, was diagnosed with asthma in 2023 after being hospitalised in 2022 due to a chest infection.

His mother, Branwen Niclas, explained how the autumn and winter terms can be worrying for parents as the cold and wet weather can often aggravate asthma symptoms. It means that son, Huw, often has to miss out on activities such as playing football with his friends.

Mother Branwen Niclas says she hopes more can be done to support children with asthma during the autumn and winter terms. Credit: ITV Cymru Wales

She said: "His worst asthma attack in school happened in December 2022. He became breathless, wheezy, and exhausted. Huw didn’t return to school until the following week as when his asthma worsens all his energy goes into taking breaths.

“I often get flash backs of his worst asthma attack when he was just only six years old. He was fine in the morning; but he was just getting shorter and shorter of breath. I could see his tummy and chest muscles were working so hard. Huw collapsed on the way out of the car, and I carried him in [to the hospital], and he was immediately put on a nebuliser. It took him a week to fully recover."

An active eight-year-old, Huw sometimes has to miss playing football with his friends due to his asthma symptoms. Credit: ITV Cymru Wales

Branwen hopes more can be done to help children with asthma at school.

She shared: "Huw has been hospitalised many times with his asthma, including during October half term. He has missed many school days due him being too unwell to attend. Knowing the school has his reliever inhaler on hand and are aware of his asthma plan makes me less anxious. I know he’s safe and that’s what every parent of a child with asthma needs.

"I’m very lucky that Huw has fantastic school where the staff know their pupils very well. I’m sharing Huw’s story to help raise awareness of the seriousness of asthma and I hope more is done to help children with the condition this school term."

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