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 In Michigan, Medicaid managed care plans have all agreed to provide 4 spacers/year at the pharmacy with no prior authorization. Developed by the Michigan Dept. of Health & Human Services asthma program and partners, this infographic was designed to help Medicaid members learn why they should use a spacer, and how to get one.

Three NHLBI guidelines-based versions are available: adult, student and ages 0-4 years old. These easy-to-use fillable PDF plans can be customized to practices and added to EHRs. Each plan features age-appropriate medications and doses in drop down menus for asthma, GERD and allergy medications, and a triggers section. The 0-4 version includes a place for parental permission to administer meds at school or daycare. The student version (5 to 18 years old) includes places for permission to self-carry and administer inhalers at school, and to share the AAP with others who need it.

A young child with asthma has a greater risk of obesity than one without the chronic respiratory condition, a new study suggests. The study only found an association between asthma and obesity, not a direct cause-and-effect relationship. And it doesn't suggest that all kids with asthma will become obese. Asthma and obesity often occur together in children. It is unknown whether asthma contributes to the childhood obesity epidemic. The study aimed to investigate the effects of asthma and asthma medication use on the development of childhood obesity.