Children and Buteyko

How can bad breathing habits affect children's health?

How does the way a child breathes impact on their physical and mental health?

Buteyko classes Stratford-upon-Avon

Buteyko Classes SW London

Buteyko classes Bristol

Asthma in children

Asthma is now the most common chronic childhood disease in the UK and is more widespread in children than adults, One in seven children are currently diagnosed as having asthma and use asthma medication. In some inner city areas the occurrence of childhood asthma has reached one in three. Respiratory disease is the most common reason for GP consultations in children, accounting for a third of all childhood consultations.. The commonest reasons for hyperventilation and asthma in children are:

1. Mouth breathing instead of nasal breathing
2. Overeating and food intolerances
3. Lack of physical exercise
4. Overheating

Reducing even one of these  factors makes it possible to reduce asthma symptoms.  Buteyko  offers a safe and natural solution to controlling asthma symptoms, and reducing the frequency and severity of asthma attacks in children.

Buteyko Benefits

There is no longer any question that drugs used to prevent and control asthma have long term adverse side effects. By using Buteyko, medicine usage can be reduced as asthma symptoms reduce, and,in many cases may even be eliminated. The sooner your child can reduce  drug usage, the better for their long- term health. In addition to reduced drug usage, Buteyko can lead to improved, sleep, concentration,  sports performance, and also fewer dental problems because nasal breathing, is beneficial to maintaining a healthy mouth. The earlier your child corrects their breathing the better.

It is easier to get out of bad breathing habits when you are younger so quality of life improvements can be dramatic in children - they enjoy and successfully use the Buteyko exercises and can soon lead a normal child's life, without the fear of constant asthma attacks.

Buteyko for asthmatic children

Children from 4 years of age can learn  Buteyko. They quickly pick up the method as we have special exercises designed to make it easy and enjoyable for them and their parents.

Buteyko will -

• help you, the parents, to recognise the signs of asthma and know what to do when you notice them.
• enable parents and children to understand asthma and the medication they are taking

• help your child to reduce asthma attacks by quickly and easily learning how to overcome symptoms naturally.

The earlier your child learns Buteyko, the easier it is to normalise, then optimise, their breathing.

AsthmaCare UK - Our course is a Buteyko family course  because -

•  As with  the genetic tendency to asthma,  breathing habits, good or bad,  often go down the generations,
• As long as your child can follow simple instructions, they can do Buteyko. As a general rule, children over the age of four years are accepted for classes.
• The parent/guardian  learns the theory and practice, is able to supervise their child performing breathing exercises correctly at home, and also put in place any necessary dietary and lifestyle changes.

Buteyko trials involving children

A number of clinical trials have been or are being undertaken into the effectiveness of the Buteyko Method with children. These include:

• In 1980 a trial by the First Moscow Institute of Paediatric Diseases, at the direction of the Government Committee for Science and Technology of the Soviet Ministry of the former USSR. Fifty-two children, suffering from moderately severe and severe asthma, were tested over three months. All children responded positively to Buteyko.
• Asthma attacks, rhinitis, and nasal mucus became less frequent and then disappeared. They found that 83% of the children were considerably improved, and 17% showed some improvement. No children showed lack of improvement. The treatment given consisted of 40 to 90 minutes of breathing training. The children then used the breathing techniques themselves for further periods during the day to relieve their symptoms. After five days, 73% of the children had discontinued all bronchodilator medication, and 15% had been able to reduce their medication.
• As reported to the UK Parliament, in a debate on asthma held on 25 June 2002, a pilot study was undertaken in 2001 at the University of Aberdeen involving a small number of children. The aim of the study was to pilot incorporation of Buteyko into conventional asthma nurse training and delivery of care. The children in Aberdeen were placed in a Buteyko group and a control group, respectively.
• The pilot indicated a number of positive trends, with the Buteyko group showing a halving of sleep disturbance due to wheeze, as well as a reduction in the average daily dose of inhaled steroids. The University of Aberdeen subsequently made an application for major funding from the Scottish Office to enable it to carry out a randomised controlled trial on a larger scale involving 80 asthmatic children.
• A Buteyko study has recently taken place at the Gisborne Hospital in New Zealand, involving asthmatic children aged between 7 and 17. Most of the children have exercise-induced asthma, allergies, eczema and other common symptoms of hyperventilation. Early results have shown a substantial reduction in reliever medication, and in the first group taught, not one child was still requiring Ventolin by the end of the week. It is expected that this study will subsequently lead into a gold standard double-blinded cross-over trial.

Parents - a few TIPS to follow until you can take your child to a course

• Advise your child to breathe through their nose at all times.
• Make sure that YOU understand what medication your child is taking, and the function of each inhaler or pill.
• Make sure that the child has their reliever medication (usually Ventolin or Bricanyl) with them at all times
• Ensure a child is regularly taking the stated dose of preventative medication as prescribed by their doctor .
• Encourage a child to sleep on their left side or front rather than on their back.
• Make sure your child eats a healthy well balanced diet.