Nepal, April 29 -- A few weeks ago, an eight-month-old baby girl from Arubari in the Capital was rushed to the Chabahil-based Om Hospital and Research Center, as the child was experiencing shortness of breath.

The child's parents told the doctor that the baby didn't have a fever but would make a wheezing sound while exhaling.

"The baby was suffering from childhood asthma," said Dr Rita Hamal, a consultant paediatrician at the hospital. "We admitted her and provided oxygen therapy. It took three days for her condition to improve."

As the Capital's air quality continues to worsen, often reaching hazardous levels, this is a common refrain among hundreds of children brought to hospitals for treatment of childhood asthma.

The ongoing fores...