(CNN) - Children have smaller airways than adults, which makes asthma especially serious.
Knowing how to treat it and developing an action plan with your child's physician is key to controlling attacks.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's February Vital Signs report focuses on controlling asthma in children.
One in 12 kids in the U.S. up to age 17 have asthma - about 6 million children and teens.
Of those, half had one or more attacks in 2016.
"It's a major diagnosis in terms of pediatric chronic illnesses," said Dr. Elizabeth Woods, associate chief of adolescent and young adult medicine at Boston Children's Hospital.
The CDC said asthma can be considered well-controlled if a person exhibits symptoms no more than two days a week, if sleep isn't interrupted more than one or two nights a month and if normal activities aren't difficult to complete.
Asthma affects about 6 million kids in the US. HCPs: create personalized asthma action plans to help kids stay healthy. #VitalSigns https://t.co/kvQKdJpvSc
— CDC (@CDCgov) February 12, 2018
People with controlled asthma should have no more than one attack a year that requires treatment with a pill or liquid.
To help manage your child's asthma, make an action plan with your doctor and make sure teachers and caregivers know about it.
Learning about asthma and how to manage it could be life saving.
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