Parental education and guided self-management of asthma or wheeze in preschool children were not effective.

I n t e r v e n t i o n Children were allocated to an intervention group (n = 99) or a control group (n = 101). The intervention included a general educational booklet about asthma in preschool children that discussed symptoms, triggers and how to avoid them, and asthma treatment; a written, guided self-management plan with instructions on when to use rescue medication, what to do if asthma worsens, and signs of severe asthma and appropriate action to take; and two 20-minute structured individual educational sessions (1 mo apart) given by a specialist respiratory nurse. The control group received usual medical and nursing care.