Study	Reason for exclusion
Bisgaard 1990	Age range of children recruited 11 to 36 months
Bisgaard 1993	Age range of children recruited 10 to 36 months
Booms 1997	This study was designed to test the hypothesis that inhaled budesonide can alter the capacity of unlimited airway narrowing in those patients with asthma who have previously been demonstrated to exhibit this type of response to inhaled methacholine. A key inclusion criterion was the presence of unlimited airways narrowing in response to methacholine. All outcomes assessed were related to the shape of the methacholine dose response curve. It was felt that such outcomes were of uncertain clinical significance at the current time and therefore the study was excluded for this reason.
Clark 1997	Treatment period of less than one week
Connett 1993	Age range of children 1 to 3 years
Dahl 1982	Single dose study
de Blic 1996	Age of children under 2 years (infants), nebuliser delivery device.
Engel 1991	Single dose study
Essen Zandvliet 1993	Single dose study
Fuglsang 1995	This randomised trial was designed to assess the influence on the shape of the dose response curve after cumulative doses of inhaled terbutaline.
Heuck 1997a	This study examined knemometric growth rates in children treated with budesonide. No other outcomes were assessed.
Ilangovan 1993	Nebulizer delivery device employed
Kidney 1997	Single dose study
Kozak‐Szkopek 1997	Study concerned with patients with chronic bronchitis, not asthma
Noble 1992	Age range of children recruited 4 to 17 months
Paggiaro 1994	Single dose study
Rocca 1996	All patients recieved budesonide via Pulmicort Turbohaler DPI throughout study. Patients were randomised to recieve either terbutaline via either an MDI or the Turbohaler DPI.
Shapiro 1998b	Nebuliser delivery device used
Sutochnikova 1996	The study is described as randomised, however it is not clear from the English language translation of the paper if the control group received placebo or no intervention at all. Awaiting confirmation from author.
Van Bever 1990	Age range of children 3 to 17 months, nebuliser delivery device used.
Waalkens 1990	Not an RCT
Wilson 1995	This study examined the effects of continuous prophylactic inhaled budesonide in preventing recurrent acute episodes of viral induced episodic wheeze in pre‐school children. It is not using a population of children with defined 'asthma'
Wilson 1998	Placebo arm not randomised
Wolthers 1998	This randomised controlled trial assessed the effects of budesonide versus placebo on serum osteocalcin levels in asthmatic children. The effects of inhaled corticosteroids on bone metabolism are being addressed by another review. No other outcome measures were assessed.
Yates 1998	Single dose study