A PARENT'S GUIDE TO ASTHMA

Thorough, practical, and up-to-date help for parents of children with asthma. Day-to-day management of asthma has improved over the last decade, with real hope for a better quality of life for those with even the severest forms of what is a life-threatening disease. Sander, the founder of the support network Mothers of Asthmatics, and herself the mother of a daughter with severe asthma and allergies, has both a sound understanding of the medical state-of-the-art in treatment, and the personal, practical experience of coping with the disease. She lays this all out clearly for readers in a similar situation, interspersing her own experiences, those of other families, and direct tips from physicians with the technical detail necessary. She starts by telling her own story, of misdiagnosis of her sickly daughter from birth--the turn around came when they enrolled in a research program at Georgetown Univ. Hospital. Sander then goes on to explain the basics of the disease, and beginning steps to controlling it (keeping a diary is the first step in determining triggers and patterns). She banishes the old wives' tales (from ""it's all in your head"" to ""asthma doesn't kill anyone anymore""); offers advice on finding a good physician; and describes medications and other ""tools of the trade,"" as well as how to allergy-proof one's home. She then moves on to ""Growing Up With Asthma,"" a look at special situations that will affect all families who have a member with the disease (difficulties dealing with schools, for example). Sound, intelligent help, then, from one who's been there.