Recent studies have estimated the prevalence of specific phobias in children at between 3 and 4%. In Sweden (

) 60 children aged 7–17 years) were randomised to one session exposure treatment with or without a parent present or to a 4-week waiting list. Half of them had animal phobias (to dogs, spiders, snakes, ants, birds, snails, or insects) and half had other phobias (to injections, enclosed spaces, blood, thunderstorms, deep water, loud noise, mummies, and yoghurt). Treatment, which lasted for up to three hours, consisted of gradual exposure to the phobic stimulus, while allowing the child to correct false beliefs about the stimulus. One week after treatment most of the children had improved and the presence or absence of a parent during treatment made little difference. The improvements were maintained at 1 year.

In New South Wales a cohort of 8–10 year olds was followed for up to 15 years (

). The two main risk factors for the onset of wheeze were atopy (at least one positive skin prick test) at baseline and asthma in a parent. Late onset atopy (more than 2 years after baseline) developed in 13.7% and wheeze in 12.4% whereas atopy remitted in 3.2% and wheeze in 5.6%. Girls were more likely to develop airway hyperresponsiveness to histamine and boys were …