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Kern County Network for Children
University Square-3rd Floor
2000 K Street
Bakersfield, California 93301

661.861.5278

Conditions Of Children
A Data Collection for Concerned Adults in Kern County

Asthma

Asthma is a life threatening, chronic inflammatory lung disease that causes episodes of shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, and chest tightness. Children who have asthma describe it as feeling like "trying to breathe through a straw." With proper diagnosis, treatment, and preventive measures, children living with asthma can experience a greater quality of life.

The Valley Air District reports that 17 percent of children in the valley are diagnosed with asthma compared to the low number of five percent nationwide. In Kern County, more than 11,000 children have been diagnosed with asthma. According to the Kern County Department of Public, asthma is the primary health-related reason children are absent from Kern County schools.

RESOURCES

• Is it asthma? A guide for parents.
• Diagnosing asthma: What to expect.
• BAM! Body and Mind, Website for kids with Asthma (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Caring for Children with Special Needs: Allergies and Asthma

RESEARCH/DATA

• Asthma in Children and Adolescents in California Counties, 2003, California Center for Health Statistics
  
• California County Asthma Hospitalization Chart Book - August 2000
  A report produced by the California Department of Health Services which includes county hospitalization discharge data from 1995-1997 related to asthma.
  
• California County Asthma Mortality Chart Book - April 2000
  A report produced by the California Department of Health Services that includes county mortality data from 1990-1997 related to asthma.

ORGANIZATIONS

• American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
• California Asthma Resource List - Kern County 2002: California Department of Health Services

Local Resources:

Kern County Superintendent of Schools
- Search and Serve
- Richardson Child Development Center

Kern Regional Center
Umbrella agency for HEARTS Connection: Support for Families with Special-Needs Children

California Asthma Resource List - Kern County 2002: California Department of Health Services