<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> A very limited option of inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) is approved for pediatric use in China because in children the use of ICSs for long periods is associated with dose-dependent growth reduction. Due to the lack of consensus on which is the best ICS-based treatment option to manage mild persistent asthma in children, the present study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of budesonide (BUD)-based therapy vis-à-vis mometasone-based therapy in children with mild persistent asthma. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A single-center, retrospective study was conducted in asthmatic children aged between 6 and 11 years. BUD and mometasone furoate (MF) were administered as per the approved dosing regimen using pressurized metered-dose inhalers via oral inhalation route for a period of 12 weeks. The study outcome was assessed in terms of the forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV<sub>1</sub>), symptom scores, and nonoccurrence of side effects. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Among the 77 asthmatic children, 71 completed the study treatment and were used in carrying out the analysis. The improvement of spirometric parameters like FEV<sub>1</sub>, Tiffeneau-Pinelli index (FEV1/forced vital capacity [FVC]), and peak expiratory flow (PEF) values observed in the MF cohort was significantly greater than those of the BUD cohort (<i>p</i> < 0.05 for all). An increase of approximately 12%/child was observed for FEV<sub>1</sub>/FVC ratios for the BUD cohort and MF cohorts. After the 12-week study, the PEF<sub>m</sub> and PEF<sub>e</sub> values increased to about 50 L/min/child for the BUD cohort and about 98 L/min/child for the MF cohort. During the study, no asthma exacerbation event was observed in the MF cohort, whereas 1 child in the BUD cohort had asthma exacerbation in week 4. The use of rescue medication during the study was required for 16.2 and 6% of children, respectively, for BUD and MF cohorts. Owing to low dosing frequency, MF could provide a better treatment approach than BUD due to improved patient compliance. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Although both drugs showed improvement in the quality of life of asthmatic children with manageable treatment-emergent adverse effects, the improvement was augmented in MF-treated children. <b><i>Level of Evidence:</i></b> The level of evidence was III. <b><i>Technical Efficacy Stage:</i></b> The technical efficacy stage was 4.
As Needed Use of Inhaled Corticosteroids for Management of Mild Persistent Asthma in Children
