Asthma in children is a serious public health problem in the US; it is one of the most common long-term diseases in children. The National Health Interview Survey has found that persons under 18 years have higher rates of asthma than any other age group. Asthma in children results in missed days of school, limitations on daily activities, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations. Moreover, asthma disproportionately affects low-income and minority children.

Asthma is a condition in which a person's air passages become inflamed, and the narrowing of the respiratory passages makes it difficult to breathe. Symptoms can include tightness in the chest, coughing, and wheezing. These symptoms are often brought on by exposure to inhaled allergens, such as dust, pollen, mold, cigarette smoke, and animal dander, or by exertion and stress. Reducing exposure to poor housing conditions, traffic pollution, secondhand smoke and other factors impacting air quality can help prevent asthma and asthma attacks. There is no cure for asthma, but for most people, the symptoms can be managed through a combination of long-term medication prevention strategies and short-term quick relievers. In some cases, however, asthma symptoms are severe enough to warrant hospitalization, and can result in death.