Single Parent Family Homes
Asthma is worse in single-parent family homes. This past Saturday, the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center presented a study that revealed that children in single-parent families are 50% more likely to return for hospital care of their asthma than children in two-parent homes. The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) annual meeting in Boston had a presentation regarding this finding.
The study also revealed that children were more likely to return for hospital care for their asthma, if their family’s annual income was less than $60,000 a year.
Children with Asthma Need Family Support
This study, presented at the ACAAI annual meeting, has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal. Therefore, this is a preliminary report. However, pediatricians see this every day; there is a definite socioeconomic impact on childhood disease. In general, single-parent families are more overwhelmed and have less of an income than two-parent families. Who is there to take turns when it comes to missing work, administering medications, and catching up on much-needed sleep when caring for a sick child? This is yet another reminder that single-parent families need more support. Support can come from other family members, friends, and in some cases the employer. Inevitably, where there is more parental support, the child with a chronic disease is healthier.
For more information, go to http://bit.ly/rF1NGI & on single-parent families, go to http://bit.ly/toBaiG.
