How can I prevent asthma attacks in my child?

If your child suffers from asthma, prevention is half the battle. Some actions you should take:
No smoking, and get rid of all allergy triggers.

• Keep pets out of your child's bedroom -- or even better, out of the house.

• Stay calm. When your child is having trouble during an asthma attack, it's easy to panic. But your losing control only exacerbates your child's stress response, further constricting his airways. Having a clear plan for how to respond will help ease some of your anxiety.

• See the Animals. If you live near a zoo, take your child there before she turns six months old. While she won't remember the poop-playing monkeys or the sleep-all-day lions, her immune system will. The zoo is filled with a particular type of antigen called endotoxin, which will actually help your child build up her immunity army. Similarly, if you can visit a working farm before your child is six months, you'll reap the same benefits.

• Get Up and Go. Children who hang out in front of the TV for two hours a day seem to double their risk of developing asthma. The theory is that TV watching takes the place of physical activity. While the relationships between the behaviors and asthma aren't fully known, researchers believe there's a link between lack of physical activity and a change in the structure and function of the lungs.

• And go swimming: Seems like swimming does an excellent job of lessening asthma symptoms in children, although some kids do have reactions to the chlorine.