Pediatric Severe Asthma Program

If your child has severe asthma, standard therapies are often not enough to keep the condition under control. Asthma symptoms—coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath—and frequent asthma attacks can be commonplace, even with medication.

Severe uncontrolled asthma affects your child and your entire family. Your child may miss more school days and need more doctor visits. Your child may feel different from others as they navigate the challenges of managing the condition. And then there’s the stress and worry that comes with preventing severe asthma attacks.

At the Pediatric Severe Asthma Program, part of Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone, our team is committed to finding the treatment that helps your child breathe easier, avoid frequent hospital visits, and experience a healthy, active life. We also offer support services, such as emotional support and child life services, to help your child and family navigate care and treatment.

Diagnosing Severe Uncontrolled Asthma in Children

If medications prescribed by your child’s pediatrician are not enough to control asthma symptoms, your child could benefit from an advanced evaluation. This includes diagnostic testing to better understand your child’s condition.

We perform a comprehensive airway evaluation, which gives us an up-close view of what is happening in your child’s respiratory system. Our pediatric pulmonologist examines the airways for signs of obstruction or narrowing, which can mimic asthma symptoms, and bronchial inflammation, which is common in children with severe uncontrolled asthma.

Our doctors also perform a careful analysis of mucus samples to understand whether an undetected bacterial infection may contribute to your child’s asthma symptoms.

Your child’s doctor may also request tests to detect esophageal inflammation caused by allergic conditions including eosinophilic esophagitis. Esophageal inflammation is a common cause of severe uncontrolled asthma.

Our specialists provide accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment for conditions that contribute to your child’s severe asthma.

Treatment for Severe Asthma in Children

These tests results, combined with your child’s medical history, help us develop a treatment plan customized for your child. Treatment for severe asthma can include antibiotics to treat bacterial infection, inhaled corticosteroids and nonsteroidal asthma medications that target inflammation, or biologic medications that pinpoint the specific type of inflammation believed to trigger asthma symptoms. Specific treatments for esophageal inflammation are provided by our partners at the Pediatric Aerodigestive Center. 

Rarely, severe asthma can lead to a narrowing of the voice box or trachea, and surgery may be recommended to treat these complications.

Our Pediatric Severe Asthma Team

Our team includes board-certified pediatric pulmonologists, respiratory therapists, and nurse practitioners. Our pharmacists also provide customized biologic medications through Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital’s specialized pharmacy.