[Climate therapy for children with respiratory allergy].

Climate therapy is often proposed for children with severe allergic asthma which remains uncontrolled in spite of adapted treatment. The beneficial effects of climate therapy are related to the reduced allergenic load and to the fact that mites do not survive at high altitudes. Less exposure to allergens leads to improved respiratory function, decreased bronchial hyperreactivity and lower levels of total and specific IgE as well as markers of inflammation. These different actions combine to produce a lower prevalence of asthma at higher altitudes. Other advantages of climate therapy is related to better management of care by a multidisciplinary team. This in turn enables: a combined medial and paramedical approach to stablize the asthma with minimal effective doses of drug therapy; the development of a specific educational program aimed at improving therapeutic compliance; and an individualized education adapted to the learning problems which are often important in these children. The problems of the child being separated from his/her parents and the risk of recurrence after returning home must also be addressed and can generally be prevented by simple precautions.