The childhood asthma management program (CAMP) is a multicenter, masked, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial carried out in 945 children with asthma aged 5-12 years. The trial is designed to determine the long- term effects of 3 treatments (two classes of anti-inflammatory agents [budesonide or neodocromil] and placebo) on pulmonary function as measured by normalized FEV 1 over a 5-6 1/2 years period. Every patient will use an intermittent (as needed) short-acting beta2-agonist (albuterol).