Asthma attacks requiring children being taken to hospital could soar in Scotland after schools return, a charity has warned.

Statistics from Asthma + Lung UK Scotland showed over the past seven years hospital admissions for children aged five to 19 spike in August and September, compared to July.

A lack of preventer medicine routine during the summer holidays involving inhalers, and being exposed to an abundance of triggers, including colds and other viruses, could be the cause, the charity said.

Asthma + Lung UK Scotland warned many children could be at risk of having a potentially life-threatening asthma attack after returning to the classroom, with 71,000 children suffering from asthma.

Routines can get disrupted over the holidays, so children’s airways can be more sensitive to asthma triggers when they go back to school.

In September 2022, some 141 hospital admissions for asthma were recorded, compared to 45 in July and 74 in August.

Mother-of-two Alison Deans, from East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, has two sons aged 11 and five who developed asthma.

Ms Deans said: “It is always a slightly anxious time for a mum when your children return to school for the autumn, or when they start school for the first time as my youngest is about to, as they are more susceptible to coughs and colds and picking up the inevitable bugs that are going around.

“And no-one wants this to become a trigger for your child to have an asthma attack.

“It’s easy over the summer holidays to fall out of the routine of taking medicines, so I try to be extra mindful for the boys to continue with their preventer medicines to help give them more protection as they head back to the classroom.”

The charity is urging parents to be on their guard and look out for signs that their child’s asthma may be worsening, such as wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and breathlessness, and advises them to take urgent action.

Joseph Carter, head of Asthma + Lung UK Scotland, said: “We already know that when children go back to school after the summer holidays, we often see a spike in the number of asthma attacks, which leads to more hospital admissions.

“This is for several reasons, such as being exposed to more colds and other viruses or dust mites in a school setting, or seasonal allergies such as mould.

“Some youngsters might also fall out of their usual preventer inhaler routines over the summer break, which can leave them much more vulnerable to an asthma attack when they return to school and are around more triggers for their asthma.”