The Press: Worrying trend revealed

Rebecca Todd writes in The Press about new research from Canterbury University showing that children with asthma are more likely to fall significantly behind their peers in reading during their first year in school, than their non-asthmatic counterparts.

The study, which followed almost 300 five year old children between 2005 and 2008, with researchers now looking for explanations for the difference.

An excerpt: (read in full here)

“The study found that children who started school with asthma – 18.5 per cent – were significantly more likely to be in the lowest 25 per cent in reading at the end of their first year.

“The children were not at a lower level at school entrance, but after a year were more likely to have fallen six months or more behind those without the condition in reading.

“The low achievement was independent of socioeconomic status, ethnicity, ability level, absence, asthma severity and behaviour problems.”