Commentary Japanese Pediatric Guideline for The Treatment and Management of Asthma 2020 Chapter4 Risk factors for pediatric asthma and those managements

Abstract

The Japanese Pediatric Guideline for The Treatment and Management of Asthma (JPGL) 2020 was based on JPGL 2017 with updated information on the risk factors for pediatric asthma and their managements. Additionally, the main changes were as follows: 1) New sections about the recent awareness of "Microbiome," "Antibiotics," and "Maternal medication"; 2) Explanations and figures on the "Key points of indoor environmental intervention"; and 3) "Prevention of asthma development and exacerbations in other countries' guidelines" were added and summarized in a table. However, there is still little evidence on the necessity of control of house dust mite for the management of asthma in Japan. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the number of emergency visits and hospitalizations for asthma has decreased, which is suggested to be associated with preventive measures for viral infections and reduction of allergen exposure by wearing masks.