Taking Your Child's Breath Away — The Extension of Asthma's Global Reach

Abstract

On a clear summer day, as Michael runs through the fields playing with his friends, the view from his farm is spectacular. You can look past the hills where his family grows olives and raises sheep to the Mediterranean Sea. Last winter, however, the picture was far less tranquil for the 4-year-old and his family. In their small cottage that is heated by burning olive pits left over from the olive-oil press, with his mother cooking over an open fire and his father smoking two to three packs of cigarettes a day, Michael developed frequent colds, a chronic cough that . . .