Swimming will not cause asthma in children

Babies and children who swim regularly will not affect their chances of developing asthma or even exacerbate it, a UK charity calls on the back of new research.

Research published online in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, finds that swimming does not cause asthma in children and that regular swimming is associated with stronger and better lung function.

On average, there are two children in every school classroom who suffers from asthma.

One in eight children under the age of 15 experience attacks so severe they cannot speak.

Previous studies have commended the exercise of swimming for being good for asthma sufferers but concluded that the chlorine in the water could lead to children developing asthma.

Now, a team of researchers including Professor John Henderson from the Bristol-based  ALSPAC (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children) study examined data collected through the project.

They found that children who had wheezed before the age of three and a half were less likely to develop asthma by age seven if they swam.

Children who regularly went swimming were also found to have better lung function.

Whilst different studies conclude that swimming might cause asthma due to repeated exposure to chlorine, other scientists argue that children with asthma are frequently encouraged to swim, leading to a distorted result.

Spokesperson for Asthma UK, Dr Elaine Vickers, said: “This is the first study examining the relationship between swimming and asthma where the information has been collected from children who have been monitored over many years.

“This large, well-designed study therefore suggests that swimming regularly in chlorinated pools does not cause asthma in children, but can in fact improve their lung health.”