Abstract
Asthma is clinically defined as a disease with symptoms of recurrent reversible lower airway obstruction. Presenting complaints are recurrent wheezing with or without a cough, triggered by multiple stimuli, including viral infections, allergens, irritants, exercise, and sudden emotional changes. These symptoms of bronchial hyperresponsiveness demonstrate reversibility in that they respond to an inhaled bronchodilator. Features supporting the diagnosis are a family or personal history of atopy, night coughing, exercise-induced coughing, and wheezing (Levin & Weinberg, 2011:333).
The researcher realised that diagnosing asthma in children was a challenge as it was often delayed. She thus felt the need to conduct a study to explore and describe the experiences of caregivers looking after children with asthma. Asthma, as the most common chronic disease in children, is on the increase yet the South African government is putting more effort on infectious causes of child mortality than the non-infectious. This study will contribute to creating awereness that asthma may be contributing to mortality in children below five years, because of the delay and misdiagnosis issues surrounding it.
South Africa adopted the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals in the year 2000, whereby MDG 4 aimed at reduction of child mortality in children below five years. However, none of the relevant indicators pertaining to the goal were achieved (Millennium Development Goals: Country Report 2015:20), probably because other non-infectious diseases were not given more effort.
The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the experiences of caregivers living with children with asthma, to develop recommendations for health professionals to assist caregivers looking after children with asthma. This will promote the management of childhood asthma by health care professionals and caregivers...
M.Cur.