There is something haunting children around the world: asthma. More and more children worldwide are severe asthmatics and it has become a cause for international concern and investigation. Recent findings pinpoint sugar as the constant international variable. Of increasing interest has been the exposure of children to sugar during their perinatal period (the weeks immediately before and after their birth). A recent international study has shown a correlation between the amount of added sugar consumed perinatally and severe asthma in children of 6-7 years of age. The highest rates of childhood asthma occur in English speaking and Latin American countries. Mothers already have to be careful of their prenatal diets and to what they feed and expose their young children. With sugar being added to so many foods, careful reading of food labels has to occur, for childhood dietary issues often become adult dietary issues with adult diet-related health problems.
 

Thornley S, Stewart A, Marshall R, Jackson R. Per capita sugar consumption is associated with severe childhood asthma: an ecological study of 53 countries. Prim Care Respir J. 2011 Mar;20 (1):75-8. doi: 10.4104/pcrj.2010.00087. PubMed PMID: 21190010. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21190010