Daughter Malia's asthma brings home climate change debate: Barack Obama

Washington: President Barack Obama says his memory of the fear over his daughter's pre-school asthma attacks brings home the debate over climate change.

Obama says he knows firsthand how scary it can be to have a child who struggles to breathe. He is arguing that preventing climate change could improve public health by reducing illnesses such as asthma.

Obama tells ABC he felt a "terrible" fright when a young Malia told him she couldn't breathe and had to be rushed to the emergency room. He says he thinks every parent would wish to reduce such incidents by improving the environment.

Malia, now 16, has not had to carry an inhaler since before the family moved to the White House. But Obama tells CBS she still has allergies that need to be monitored.