A screening process in a preschool education program can help identify children who probably have asthma, according to researchers.

“Few studies have addressed asthma screening in the preschool age groups,” Dr. Jill Berg, of the University of California, Los Angeles, and colleagues write in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.

“Early asthma recognition and intervention in preschool children may reduce costs related to unscheduled medical care and missed school and work.”

This prompted the researchers to administer a seven-question survey to the parents and guardians of children between the ages of 12 months and 6 years in pre-kindergarten programs.

The surveys included questions on health care use, school absenteeism, and asthma symptoms. A total of 609 surveys from eight centers were returned.

Overall, the responses showed a probability of asthma in 12 percent of the children, but only 5 percent had been previously diagnosed with the condition.

Among the 12 percent with probable asthma, those of Hispanic descent were less likely to have a prior asthma diagnosis.

“These findings emphasize the need to address school-based case identification of asthma in the preschool population,” Berg’s team concludes. “School-based screening can help identify preschool children with a high probability of asthma and offer a basis for early treatment.”

SOURCE: Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, November 2004.