Asthma is a chronic condition of lung inflammation. Medicines for asthma aim to control the symptoms during a flare-up, or exacerbation, and to prevent recurrence of the symptoms. Children under 2 years of age with asthma use these medicines delivered by a nebulizer, a machine that turns the liquid drug into an easily inhaled mist. The diagnosis of asthma in this age group is challenging, as other conditions, such as viral bronchiolitis, can mimic its symptoms.
Bronchodilators
The main effect of asthma is constriction of the airways as a result of surrounding lung inflammation. This inflammation can be triggered by colds, pollen and other allergens. Bronchodilators are medicines that relax the muscles around the airways, opening them up to improve air exchange. The most common bronchodilator is called albuterol. Albuterol comes in a liquid form that can be used with a nebulizer in babies less than 2 years of age. The main side effect of albuterol is tachycardia--a rapid heart beat.
Systemic Steroids
Systemic corticosteroids, like prednisone and prednisolone, are useful in the management of acute asthma attacks or flare-ups. They work by decreasing the inflammation of the airways in a rapid fashion, allowing for better air and oxygen exchange in the lungs. In babies, corticosteroids can be given in liquid form, in chewable tablets, or intravenously if the baby is unable to tolerate medicines by mouth.
Inhaled Steroids
Steroids are anti-inflammatory medicines used in the prevention of asthma flare-ups. According to MedlinePlus, a publication of the National Institutes of Health, budesonide is the only inhaled steroid available in a nebulizer form. Inhaled steroids decrease asthma exacerbation by decreasing the amount of inflammation surrounding the airway. Inhaled steroids must be used every day for them to exert their preventive effect. Potential side effects of budesonide inhalation include allergic reactions and the worsening of respiratory symptoms. Inhaled steroids have fewer side effects than systemic steroids, as they only affect the lungs, while systemic steroids affect the whole body.
Allergy Medicines
MayoClinic.com notes that certain asthma medicines are taken seasonally. This is especially true if the child has allergy-induced, or extrinsic, asthma. Allergy medicines for children under 2 with asthma include cetirizine, or Zyrtec, and montelukast, or Singulair. According to PubMed Health, cetirizine is an antihistamine that works to control allergy symptoms, such as runny nose and scratchy eyes that can precede an asthma attack. Montelukast works by preventing the action of certain substances in the body that trigger asthma symptoms.
