Asthma and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease in Children – Completing the Puzzle

M any findings support a possible association between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and asthma in children, but there is not enough evidence to support the causality of this association. Longitudinal studies with long-term follow-up are urgently required to cover the many gaps that persist in this area. Treatment of GERD with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in children with uncontrolled asthma does not substantively improve asthma outcomes but large, controlled trials in children symptomatic of both asthma and GERD are lacking. Since there are significant safety concerns for long-term PPIs use in children, physicians should carefully balance their therapeutic decisions in individual cases.