Background: Inhaled corticosteroids are recommended drugs for asthma treatment. Their growth suppressive potential is well-known. Twice-daily delivery is usually used in children, but poor compliance of such long-term treatment may represent a problem which can be resolved with once-daily regimen. The aim of this prospective study was to asses the efficacy and the influence on growth of long term once-daily administration of inhaled fluticasone propionate (FP) in asthmatic Slovene children under 5 years.

Methods: Children with mild persistent asthma took part in parallel group trial. Their parents recorded asthma symptoms, β 2-agonist usage, and PEF using a form for asthma control on a daily basis for a period of one year. According twice or once-daily treatment they were divided in two groups: group A – children receiving FP 100 μg twice-daily and group B – children receiving FP 200 μg once-daily at bedtime. Mean height of 26 children of the same sex and age from each group and of 26 healthy children (groups A1, B1, C) was observed. Chi-square analysis with Yates’ correction and t-tests were employed for between – group analyses (SPSS software 11.0).

Results: FP given once-daily was as effective and tolerated as the same total dose given twice-daily. PEF, asthma symptoms and bronchodilator use of children from group B were not significantly different from those from group A (p > 0.05). The mean height increase of children receiving FP once-daily was smaller for 0.22 cm than of children receiving FP twice-daily and for 0.98 cm than of healthy children (t = 1.56, p = 0.132; DF: 24).

Conclusions: Once-daily administration of inhaled FP in asthmatic children is safe and as effective as twice-daily administration. The suppressive potential is greater when it is given once-daily.