September 24, 2025- Mayo Clinic researchers have developed artificial intelligence (AI) tools that help identify which children with asthma face the highest risk of serious asthma exacerbation and acute respiratory infections. The study, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, found the tools can detect those risks as early as age 3.
The work is part of Mayo Clinic’s precure strategic priority, which aims to predict and prevent serious diseases before they advance. Through innovative technologies and population-based studies, precure is designed to bring prevention-focused care directly to patients sooner.
Asthma affects nearly 6 million U.S. children and is a leading cause of missed school, emergency visits and hospital stays, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Respiratory infections are the most common trigger of asthma attacks, but symptoms vary widely and change over time. That makes it hard for clinicians to know which children are most vulnerable, a gap these AI tools are designed to help address.