New research from the CHILD Cohort Study shows that frequent exposure to common household cleaning products can increase a child’s risk of developing asthma.
New research from the CHILD Cohort Study shows that frequent exposure to common household cleaning products can increase a child’s risk of developing asthma.
Asthma is the most common chronic childhood disease and is the primary reason why children miss school or end up in hospital.
The study was published today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. It found that young infants (birth to three months) living in homes where household cleaning products were used frequently were more likely to develop childhood wheeze and asthma by three years of age.
“Most of the available evidence linking asthma to the use of cleaning products comes from research in adults,” said the study’s lead researcher, Dr. Tim Takaro, a professor and clinician- scientist in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University (SFU). “Our study looked at infants, who typically spend 80-90% of their time indoors and are especially vulnerable to chemical exposures through the lungs and skin due to their higher respiration rates and regular contact with household surfaces.”
Read more at Simon Fraser University
Image: Jaclyn Parks a graduate student in the Faculty of Health Sciences at SFU and lead author. (Credit: Simon Fraser University)
