Growth and Pituitary-Adrenal Function in Children with Severe Asthma Treated with Inhaled Budesonide

Corticosteroids are potent antiinflammatory agents, and administering them by aerosol has been recommended as the treatment of choice for patients with severe persistent asthma 1 . The use of inhaled corticosteroids in young children has been limited, however, by the technical difficulty of administration and the paucity of data about the safety of these drugs. The introduction of various spacer devices has allowed inhaled corticosteroids to be given to children 2 . Data on the safety of prolonged administration of inhaled corticosteroids in young children, particularly in terms of growth and pituitary-adrenal function, are therefore much needed. In previous studies with follow-up . . .