Asthma rates have increased dramatically since the 1950s and now affect up to 20 per cent of children in western countries. In children ages 5-14 years, the rate of death from asthma almost doubled between 1980 and 1993. The disease is more common in blacks and in city-dwellers than in whites and those who reside in suburban and rural areas. A US government survey showed … Continue reading Four gut bacteria shown to decrease asthma risk in infants, validate probiotic treatment.