Buteyko for children

       A Guide for parents

AsthmaCare has a special program for children. We fine tune our teaching methods to every child's age. For young children, elements of play and storytelling are involved. For older, school age children a special book and friendly exercise competition keeps the therapy stimulating.

Children learn effortlessly, and on average experience quicker improvements than adults.

By teaching your kids the Buteyko therapy early in life, you as a parent, are setting a perfect stage for your child’s healthy future.

Pediatric conditions that respond well to the Buteyko Method include:

• Asthma
• Exercise-Induced asthma
• Chronic cough
• Postnasal drip, throat clearing
• Respiratory and skin allergies
• Chronic sinusitis
• Rhinitis
• Low immunity, frequent respiratory and ear infections

Conventional treatment for the conditions listed above usually includes extensive use of the following:

• Decongestants
• Corticosteroid-based inhalers, drops, nasal sprays, pills, creams and ointments
• Allergy medication (antihistamins, leukotriene modifiers, mast cell stabilizers)
• Bronchodilators

Or, in some cases, surgical procedures

Many of those drugs carry strong FDA warnings about serious side effects (visit our blog). Asthma inhalers Advair and Serevent carry the FDA "black box" warning. Long acting bronchodilators Serevent (component of Advair) and Foradil were recently considered to be removed from the market due to asthma deaths associated with them.
The FDA had recommended that none of the four asthma inhalers (Advair, Symbicort,Serevent, Foradil) be used to treat asthmatic children.
Leukotriene modifiers, such as Singulair, Accolate and Zyflo, received FDA recommendation to display stronger warning due to psychiatric side effects.
Long-term corticosteroid drug use has been proven to cause a host of harmful side effects because of immune system impairment.

While drugs are often necessary as a temporary help, they are never a good long-term solution. We offer you a safer and more effective option to address your child's condition with proven therapy (see Buteyko medical trial for children ).

How old should a child be to start the therapy?

Children starting from age 4 or 5 usually can learn the method. Children develop differently, but the general rule is that a child should be able to sustain attention, understand and follow simple directions for an exercise set lasting about 20-25 minutes.

What is expected of a parent?

Strong parental commitment is a key to a successful therapy. Parents are taught the therapy alongside their child(ren). Children learn best by example, and we encourage a parent to practice the method with the child(ren). The best and the quickest results are achieved when a parent sets, supervises and encourages the child's daily exercise routine, as well as closely follows the Practitioner's recommendations.

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