You’re watching your child play in the backyard on a seemingly normal day. Suddenly, the sound of laughter fades, only to be replaced by coughing...then wheezing.

Like millions of other parents across the US, you’re experiencing something truly terrifying--your child is having an asthma attack. More than four million children experience an asthma attack every year, and it’s the third leading cause of hospitalization in adolescents 15 and under.

There are many similarities between childhood and adult-onset asthma. They are treated the same way, and they have many of the same triggers (such as dust, mold, pollen, etc.). Yet, children are vulnerable in a way that adults aren’t.

With the exception of those who developed asthma later on in life, most with adults with asthma are aware of what triggers an asthma attack. Children, on the other hand, are still figuring out when and where asthma attacks may occur.

More importantly, children do not have the skillset that adults have when it comes to consistently using their controller inhaler, and routine usage is key when it comes to managing asthma.

If your child is on the younger end of the spectrum, they may have trouble motivating themselves to do something now simply because it’s good for them in the long run. You’re probably still struggling to get them to brush their teeth daily, let alone use an inhaler.

Older children have their own issues as well, such as dealing with the social stigma that accompanies using an inhaler. They may say that they are routinely using their controller inhaler when they really aren’t.

Poor organization, routine, and sheer forgetfulness (you know...everything that you’d expect in children) cause adolescents additional difficulty with managing their asthma.

The Hailie™ Solution – A Novel Way to Deal With Childhood Asthma

The Hailie™ solution was developed as a novel way to  help you manage your child’s asthma. . It consists of two major components:

• The Hailie™ sensor, which attaches to your child’s existing inhaler and tracks when they take their medication and reminds them when it’s time to take a dose.
• The Hailie™ app, which also reminds your child to take their inhaler and lets you know that they’ve taken it; it also shows you their usage over time.

You can read more about the Hailie™ solution and how it works.

In clinical trials, children saw an 80% reduction in asthma-related hospital visits and a 45% reduction in rescue inhaler usage. According to these studies, electronic monitoring and feedback seemed to play a key role in improving outcomes.

Asthma sucks, and we wouldn’t wish it upon any child. Unlike other debilitating diseases, however, you can improve the outcome--this means teaching your child good habits to motivate themselves into doing something they normally wouldn’t. These are skills that will not only help them manage their asthma, but will put them ahead in life.