Video: New Children's Storybook Helps Parents Teach Their Children With Asthma About...

Video: New Children's Storybook Helps Parents Teach Their Children With
Asthma About Their Condition

Schering-Plough partners with the Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of
Asthmatics to tell the delightful story of "Breathless Bethany Buttercup"

KENILWORTH, N.J., March 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Asthma is the most common chronic
condition among children, with approximately 6.8 million children currently
with asthma in the United States.(1,2) It accounts for almost 13 million
missed school days each year and is the third-ranking cause of hospitalization
among those younger than 15 years of age.(3,4) With statistics like these, a
diagnosis of asthma can often be daunting for parents and children. Parents
often struggle with the best way to talk to their children about asthma, and
many children with asthma report a desire not to be treated differently from
other children.(5) To help parents speak with their children about asthma and
support children coping with their disease, Schering-Plough Corporation has
partnered with the Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA) to
develop a fun, yet educational, storybook, Breathless Bethany Buttercup, that
uses a little girl's story about her experience with asthma to provide
information about asthma management.

To view the Multimedia News Release, go to:
http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/asmanex/37587/

"When my daughter, Danielle, was first diagnosed with asthma, I was in need of
a way to help me talk to her about the condition and the importance of using
medication to help her feel better," said Julie Driggers of Omaha, Nebraska.
"It is great to see that there is now an informative resource like this
storybook available for children. This storybook also conveys the seriousness
of asthma and highlights the importance of working with your doctor to develop
an asthma action plan."

Some children find it difficult to accept an asthma diagnosis, which makes the
role of a parent all the more vital. According to a 2007 study published in
the journal Pediatric Nurse, it is important for parents to talk to a
physician about ways to build their child's self-confidence and prevent them
from feeling stigmatized when they display difficulty coping with their
asthma.(6) Parents should also monitor their child's asthma and continue to
work with their child's physician to determine an appropriate asthma
management plan.(7)

"We're excited to collaborate with Schering-Plough on the development of an
asthma storybook for children," said Nancy Sander, founder and president of
the Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics. "The number one reason why
parents call our organization is to find answers to questions about
medications and how to help their children to take them as prescribed.
Breathless Bethany Buttercup provides the perfect forum for parents and
children to talk about asthma and how to manage their condition."

Breathless Bethany Buttercup was written by Tolya Thompson and illustrated by
Curt Walstead. With playful rhymes and colorful illustrations, the storybook
appeals to early elementary school-aged students and parents can order a free
copy through Schering-Plough and the Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of
Asthmatics. For more information or to receive your own copy, visit
www.asthmastorybook.com or www.breatherville.org.

About Pediatric Asthma
Asthma is a chronic disorder characterized by inflammation of the air
passages, resulting in the temporary narrowing of the airways that transport
air from the nose and mouth to the lungs.(8) Asthma symptoms, such as
coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath, can occur and can impact multiple
aspects of patients' lives.(9) Asthma is the most common chronic condition
among children(1), and it is the cause of 7 million outpatient asthma visits
to physician offices and nearly 200,000 hospitalizations among children each
year in the United States.(3) It is also the third leading cause of
hospitalization among children under the age of 15.(4)

About Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA)
Founded in 1985, Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics is the leading
national nonprofit family organization dedicated to eliminating suffering and
death due to asthma, allergies and related conditions. AANMA's core areas of
expertise are education, advocacy and outreach. Call 800.878.4403 or visit
www.breatherville.org.

About Schering-Plough Corporation
Schering-Plough is an innovation-driven, science-centered global health care
company. Through its own biopharmaceutical research and collaborations with
partners, Schering-Plough creates therapies that help save and improve lives
around the world. The company applies its research-and-development platform to
human prescription, animal health and consumer healthcare products.
Schering-Plough's vision is to "Earn Trust, Every Day" with the doctors,
patients, customers and other stakeholders served by its colleagues around the
world. The company is based in Kenilworth, N.J., and its Web site is
www.schering-plough.com.

References

1. "Childhood Asthma." Challenges for the 21st Century: Chronic
and Disabling Conditions. National Academy on an Aging Society, No. 8
June 2000. www.agingsociety.org/agingsociety/pdf/asthma.pdf
2. "Fast Stats A to Z: Asthma." National Center for Health
Statistics. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/asthma.htm
3. "Asthma Prevalence, Health Care Use and Mortality: United States,
2003-05." National Center for Health Statistics. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2006.

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hestats/ashtma03-05/asthma03-0
5.htm.
4. "Asthma & Children Fact Sheet." American Lung Association,
September 2007.
http://www.lungusa.org/site/apps/nl/content3.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=205881
7&content_id={05C5FA0A-A953-4BB6-BB74-F07C2ECCABA9}¬oc=1.
5. "Talking to Your Child About Asthma." American Academy of
Allergy Asthma and Immunology, 2000.

http://www.aaaai.org/patients/allergic_conditions/pediatric_asthma/talkin
g_to_child.stm
6. Butz, Arlene M., et. al. "Shared Decision Making In School Age
Children with Asthma." Pediatric Nurse, 2007; 33(2): 111-116.
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2269724
7. "Asthma in Children: Creating an Asthma Action Plan." Mayo
Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2008.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/asthma/HQ00273.
8. "Asthma Facts and Figures." Asthma and Allergy Foundation of
America, 2005. http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=8&sub=42
9. "What is Asthma?" National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, May
2006.
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Asthma/Asthma_WhatIs.html

SOURCE Schering-Plough Corporation

Media: Julie Lux, +1-908-298-4774; or Investors: Janet Barth or Joe
Romanelli, +1-908-298-7436, all of Schering-Plough Corporation