Children suffering from asthma who have parents with high expectations regarding their ability to function normally are less likely to display symptoms that others with the condition, according to the results of a new study.

Led by staff from the US department of ambulatory care and prevention at Harvard Medical School, Boston University and non-profit organisation Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, the study appears in the October issue of Pediatrics.

More than 700 parents of children between the ages of two and 12 who had persistent asthma were surveyed.

Parents were asked how well they believed their youngster's symptoms could be controlled, about their actual health indicators and how the condition would - or would not - affect their child's wellbeing.

"Children were more likely to have troublesome symptoms if their parents had low expectations for how well their asthma could be controlled," the study states.

Anxiety about other family issues and a lack of knowledge about asthma were also related to worse control of the condition.

Concluding, the staff say they believe doctors need to educate parents more about treatments for asthma.

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