Buteyko Method for Children With Asthma

Children from 7 to 12 years old with asthma diagnose will be included. Children in the intervention group will perform 6 sessions (twice a week) of treatment with the Buteyko Method. Children assigned to the control group will receive, along with their parents, educational interventions in relation to asthma. The investigators will assess quality of life by the PAQLQ (Paediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire), pulmonary function (spirometry) and the six-minute walk test. Vital signs, pulmonary auscultation and oxygen peripheral saturation will also be assessed during the tests. In addition, information will be collected on the numbers of hospitalizations, occurence of absence in school due to exacerbation of the disease, asthma symptoms and Beta2-agonists usage .

Inclusion criteria

• Children from 7 up to 12 years old with asthma diagnose;
• Regular inhaled corticosteroids with no change in dose in the preceding 4 weeks;
• Children cannot present: other respiratory disease (such as cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, tuberculosis), retinal detachment, hypertensive crisis, congenital heart defect, pulmonary edema, history of lobectomy or lung segmentectomy, respiratory infections 15 days prior to the evaluations.

Exclusion criteria

• Children that are not able to perform some of the necessary procedures;
• Give up participating in the research and present acute symptoms of respiratory tract during the assessments.