According to doctors from HCM City Children Hospital No. 1, more than 100 children in September were treated for serious asthma attacks. Most of the children were over five years old.
In previous months, hospitals had received few asthma patients of any age.
Dr Tran Anh Tuan, head of the hospital's respiratory illnesses department, attributed the increase in attacks to the stress of starting a new school year.
The hospital received one 15-year-old student from Vinh Long Province who suffered an attack because of exercising beyond his capacity.
The school contacted his family and then rushed him to the nearby hospital, but because of the seriousness of his complaint the student was taken to HCM City Children Hospital No. 1.
The patient's father said his son had had asthma since he was four years old, and about a year ago he had a similar attack when exercising at the school.
Dr Tuan said the increase in number of cases could be due to stress, excessive school homework, and inhalation of vehicular exhaust and dust on the way from home to school, especially during traffic jams.
He said that the number of patients with respiratory diseases had increased in recent years.
Many parents whose children were being treated at hospitals said they concealed their children's health problems because they feared that the schools would reject them.
Dr Tran Quynh Huong, of the same hospital, said asthma attacks could occur at any time and that parents must inform the school about their children's health issues.
Teachers should also learn about the disease and know what to do when a child experiences an asthma attack. — VNS
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