Hello. Thank you for asking at HCM. I went through your son s history and can understand your concern, especially when thinking of asthma in a child and you have a family history of asthma as well. Please do not worry at this stage. First of all, childhood asthma is different from adult asthma. Were I treating your son, I would like to know his symptoms in great details to decide his treatment like - Since what age has he been wheezing? Does he have nose symptoms? Does he regurgitates often after feeds? Which are the worst seasons for him? Does he have any other allergies like atopic dermatitis, food allergies, etc? Does he always have symptoms with fever or without fever also? However, from your history, to address your queries, I would like to suggest you as follows: 1. I would add montelukast and levocetirizine to your son s ongoing treatment. It may improve symptoms as well as it may reduce requirement of steroids. 2. If he is wheezing, I would suggest nebulization with salbutamol/levosalbutamol 3-6 times a day depending upon severity. It will improve wheezing symptoms. 3. One-and-half year is a very early age to predict future of asthma. So I would not suggest you to think of life-long asthma and medications at this stage. 60-70% of children grow out of childhood asthma by 7-8 years of age. 4. Although genetics is important cause of asthma, there are other factors like environment, nutrition, etc which we can modify and improve his asthma. 5. Even if he needs steroids, I would suggest him inhaled corticosteroids, which are far more safe than corticosteroid tablets. Inhaled corticosteroids act maximum locally, at the lungs itself, and only less than 1% enters the blood. So they are very safe. However, if he needs high dose steroids for long term, side effects can occur. 6. Common side effects of corticosteroids are weight gain, hypertension, diabetes, gastritis, cataract, glaucoma, growth retardation, etc etc. However, these are more seen with oral (tablet) corticosteroids. Inhaled steroids usually cause local side-effects like throat irritation, oral thrush, etc. Only rarely, they can cause other side effects. 7. There are other drugs for asthma control also (like montelukast) which are used to reduce steroid requirement. 8. Personally I would suggest you to consult an Allergist-Immunologist who will advise your son allergy testing. It will help you to identify the substances he is allergic to and also how to avoid them. 9. Please avoid exposure to dusts, smokes and air pollution as much as possible. 10. A healthy dietary habits like diet rich in vitamins & minerals (e.g., green leafy vegetables, fruits, sprouts, etc) will also improve his immunity and help him in a long run. 11. If any family member is a smoker, it would be advisable not to smoke inside home. Hope above suggestions will make things clear. Wish your son the best of the health. Should you have any further query, please feel free to ask at HCM Thank you & Regards.