Long-term follow-up of infants and children treated with beclomethasone aerosol by a special inhalation device.

A special inhalation device is described which enables young asthmatic children to inhale aerosols. Eighty children who were either too young or were otherwise handicapped to learn to inhale standard aerosols effectively took part in this study. The study period extended from three months to 41 months of treatment in patients ranging in age from 12 months to 15 years. Beclomethasone dipropionate aerosol (BDA) in doses up to 400 microgram/day were utilized. All children were observed to have an excellent response. There were no side effects such as moniliasis or growth failure. It was felt that age was no contraindication to the use of BDA and that better utilization of the aerosol was obtained by the use of the specal inhalation device.