Linear growth of very young asthmatic children treated with high-dose nebulized budesonide

The aim of this open study was to observe linear growth in young children with asthma treated with nebulized budesonide. Infants and young children (<3 years old) with severe uncontrolled asthma were studied. They were treated with nebulized budesonide (1-4 mg day(-1)) and treated for at least 6 months. Height standard deviation scores (HtSDS) were measured before (''pre-measurements'') immediately prior to commencing nebulized budesonide therapy (baseline) and after at least 6 months of therapy (''post-measurements''). The mean HtSDS score at pretreatment was -0.21 and at baseline had fallen further to -0.46. The mean HtSDS increased to -0.17 when the post-measurements were made (p = 0.035) after at least 6 months of nebulized budesonide therapy. Treatment with nebulized budesonide for longer than 6 months in very young children with severe asthma was not associated with reduced linear growth.