Buteyko for children

Children from 3 years of age can learn the Buteyko Method. They quickly pick up the method, which is designed to make it easy and enjoyable. The Buteyko method will help your child to reduce their drug dependency and asthma attacks. It will help you, the parents, to recognise the signs and know what to do when you notice them.

The earlier your child learns the Buteyko method the easier it is to correct their poor breathing.

The Buteyko Method will enable your child to reduce their drug intake, and frequency of attacks. It will teach them how to overcome their symptoms naturally. It will enable parents and children to understand asthma and their medication, how it works and enable them to come to the stage of good asthma management on little or no drugs.

QUESTION: Does your child breathe through their mouth? IF SO How does mouth breathing impact a child?

ANSWER: An abstract from the journal ‘General Dentist’

 "Mouth breathing: adverse effects on facial growth, health, academic performance, and behavior.  The vast majority of health care professionals are unaware of the negative impact of upper airway obstruction (mouth breathing) on normal facial growth and physiologic health. Children whose mouth breathing is untreated may develop long, narrow faces, narrow mouths, high palatal vaults, dental malocclusion, gummy smiles, and many other unattractive facial features, such as skeletal Class II or Class III facial profiles.

These children do not sleep well at night due to obstructed airways; this lack of sleep can adversely affect their growth and academic performance. Many of these children are misdiagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD) and hyperactivity. It is important for the entire health care community (including general and pediatric dentists) to screen and diagnose for mouth breathing in adults and in children as young as 5 years of age. If mouth breathing is treated early, its negative effect on facial and dental development and the medical and social problems associated with it can be reduced or averted."

Read the full article here -

SOLUTION - An AsthmaCare UK Breathing re-training course – click here for to go to our sister website for details of London and Stratford-upon-Avon courses.

Advice to parents until they are able to take their child to a class

• Keep reminding your child to breathe through their nose at all times, this may be difficult in the beginning, but constantly reminding them will yield great improvements in their health
• Ensure that they always take their preventative medication and always the stated dose as prescribed by their Doctor
• Make sure that they always have their relieving medication (bronchodilators) with them
• Make sure you understand what each of your child's medications does and how it should be taken
• Make a note of when attacks occur, and what has happened at that particular time so as to identify triggers.
• Try to ensure that the child sleeps on their side, not on their back
• Try to ensure that your child eats a healthy well balanced diet - Avoid junk foods
• Enrol on a Buteyko course soon!