Why doing the housework could give your children asthma

(as reported in the New Zealand Herald, 25th Aug. 2004)

Cleaning Products Can Cause Asthma!

Cleaning the house could give young children asthma, doctors warned yesterday. They said exposure to indoor pollutants from domestic solvents and common household cleaning products in early life may trigger the condition. A study of almost 200 youngsters revealed those exposed to the most volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – fumes found in cleaning products, polishes and room fresheners, as well as solvents, paints, floor adhesives, fitted carpets and cigarette smoke – were four times more likely to have asthma.

Curtin University Research Aug, 2004

In the British Medical Journal, Thorax, Professor Krassi Rumchev, of Curtin University in Perth, Australia, said exposure to the fumes from solvents and cleaning products at home may increase the risk of childhood asthma. The researchers studied 88 children with asthma and 104 without by asking parents to fill in a detailed questionnaire on their health, and testing them for allergic reactions. The levels of VOCs in all the children's homes were assessed twice – in winter and summer – and temperature and humidity, which affect dust mite activity and may trigger asthma, were also measured. Dr Rumchev said: "The levels of indoor VOCs were significantly higher in the homes of children with asthma." Professor Andrew Greening, of the Western General Infirmary in Edinburgh, said the report was an interesting paper that, " certainly raises possibilities for further research."