We measured the ventilation and inspiratory muscle activity responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia in 18 children with asthma. Ventilation was less efficient in the asthmatic children in that more inspiratory muscle activity per liter of ventilation was required than in normal children. Asthmatic and healthy children had similar ventilation responses to hypercapnia; at all levels of end-tidal Pco2, the inspiratory muscle activity was greater in those with asthma. However, during progressive isocapnic hypoxia, asthmatic patients did not increase their inspiratory muscle activity at a rate greater than normal. Thus, because of inefficient ventilation, they had significantly decreased ventilatory responses to hypoxia. Neither ventilation nor inspiratory muscle activity response to hypoxia was correlated with duration of illness or with the degree of airways obstruction present. These results demonstrate that children with chronic asthma have decreased hypoxic responsiveness and suggest that neither long-term airways obstruction nor intermittent hypoxia associated with asthma is necessary to diminish hypoxic response in asthmatic patients. An asthmatic child with depressed hypoxic responsiveness may be at increased risk of hypoxic complications or respiratory failure during acute asthma.