Oral Magnesium Supplements for Management of Pediatric Asthma Patients

Background: Asthma is the most widespread chronic paediatric condition, and Mg is one of the body's most plentiful ions. Due to its bronchodilator activity, it is used to treat acute asthma attacks by reversing bronchospasm. Our aim was to study the oral Mg supplementation effect as an adjuvant in the management of asthmatic children in between the attacks of asthma.

Methods: This case control study included eighty children, aged from 4 to 17 years old and were grouped into three groups group A, B, and control group. Group A included 40 moderate and severe asthmatic children who received oral Mg supplementation for two months plus ordinary treatment of asthma. Group B involved twenty asthmatic children who were given ordinary asthma treatment only and twenty healthy children with apparently age and sex matched were served as control group.

Results: Family history of allergies, serum Mg, pulmonary function tests were statistically significant different between studied groups. There was a negative significant relation between asthma severity and both of serum Mg and pulmonary function tests. A positive significant correlation was found between serum Mg and pulmonary function tests.

Conclusion: Serum Mg level and pulmonary function tests were significantly lower in asthmatic children. Children with asthma who were given oral Mg supplementation showed improvement in their pulmonary function tests and serum Mg level and asthma severity.