An AANMA News Release

Schools are dangerous places for the nearly 5 million children who have asthma, the nonprofit group Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA) warns as kids head back to school. Too many of the nation's schools deny students access to lifesaving asthma medication, lack a full-time nurse, and contain symptom-causing allergens and irritants.

"We send our kids off to school trusting that they'll be safe," says AANMA President Nancy Sander. "Instead, children with asthma are dying at school because they didn’t have immediate access to their inhalers, or because the one trained nurse happened to be at another school that day." Asthma kills 15 people every day and is the leading cause of missed school days. A deadly asthma attack can strike anytime, anywhere -- playgrounds, lunchrooms, school buses, or classrooms. Yet only 18 states have passed legislation giving students the right to carry and self-administer their inhalers at school.

Approximately 56,000 school nurses serve the country's 47 million public school students. But many shuttle between three or four schools each week, leaving schoolchildren without a full-time nurse to manage asthma emergencies. Whether they have asthma or not, students should have access to a registered school nurse at all times.

Kids spend at least six hours a day in schools filled with mold, dust, pesticides, and other chemicals. Breathing these allergens is unhealthy for everyone, but it can be life threatening for those with asthma. The Environmental Protection Agency’s Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Kit helps schools improve indoor air quality at little or no cost. However, only about 10,000 of America's nearly 90,000 public schools currently use it.

"Children are required to attend school, but they should not be required to do so at risk of death," Sander says. "If a physician instructs a child to carry an inhaler at all times, what right does a school have to contradict those instructions?" In May 2002, AANMA held its fifth annual Asthma Awareness Day on Capitol Hill to make the nation’s lawmakers aware of these and other issues. AANMA is working with members of Congress to develop national legislation protecting the rights of students with asthma.

AANMA Offers These Tips To Ensure A Safe And Healthy School Year:
·        Have your child's physician develop a written asthma management plan and give the school a copy.
·        Meet with your child's principal, teachers, coaches, cafeteria workers, and school nurse to explain his or her health needs, triggers, warning signs, medications, and emergency treatments.
·        Make sure all of your child's school health forms are complete and include emergency phone numbers for relatives and physicians.
·        Make sure your child knows what triggers to avoid, early warning signs, the names of medications and how to use them, and when to ask for help.
·        Purchase AANMA’s Asthma & Allergies at School packet. This unique resource helps bridge the communication gap between parents, students, and teachers. Includes how-to instructions, practical examples, problem-solving strategies, and checklists.
·        Visit AANMA’s online School House for more tips on preparing your child for the this school year.
 
 

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