Ketotifen in African children.

Twenty-six asthmatic children, 16 boys and 10 girls with a mean age of 4.9 years, were given ketotifen, an oral prophylactic drug against asthma. Both the number of acute asthmatic attacks and their severity were reduced over a period of three months. Also reduced was the concomitant use of bronchodilators in these children. Only minimal side effects were noted. It is concluded that ketotifen has beneficial effects in childhood asthma.