Forty-one children with asthma and their parents were interviewed to assess their level of understanding of the disease, drug therapy and prognosis, to define their fears and anxieties and to elucidate the extent to which asthma had interfered with activities and family life. Knowledge of the disease and its natural history was poor, understanding of drug therapy inadequate and anxieties relating to death, separation, permanent lung damage, curtailment of activities were common.