No asthma medications should be administered to infants unless first cleared with a paediatric physician, according to new advice that follows an overhaul of asthma management guidelines.

In the first major review of the Australian Asthma Handbook since 2014, the National Asthma Council Australia (NACA) has removed recommendations for specific asthma management in babies younger than 12 months.

The section now advises GPs that “wheezing infants aged less than 12 months old should not be treated for asthma”.

“Advice should be obtained from a paediatric respiratory physician or paediatrician before administering short-acting beta 2 agonists, systemic corticosteroids or inhaled corticosteroids to an infant under 12 months,” it says.