Study: Home Cleaning Products May Cause Breathing Problems in Children
2020-02-25
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1New parents who clean their homes very often to protect their babies from bacteria and other organisms might want to cut back their efforts.
2A new study suggests that high levels of contact with cleaning products are linked to an increased risk of the childhood breathing condition known as asthma.
3Researchers asked a group of parents how often they used 26 common household cleaners during their babies' first three to four months of life.
4By age three, the children who had come in contact with cleaning products the most were more likely to be diagnosed with asthma.
5The researchers said that children who had a lot of contact with cleaners were 37 percent more likely to have asthma than children with the least contact.
6The study also found that a lot of exposure to cleaning products caused children to be 35 percent more likely to have chronic difficulty breathing.
7In addition, they were 49 percent more likely to have chronic allergies.
8Tim Takaro, who helped lead the study, is a doctor with Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada.
9He told the Reuters news service he understands that parents want to make their homes safe for their children.
10But he suggests that they should question the belief that their home is clean only if it smells like chemical-based cleaning products.
11"Instead, we propose that the smell of a healthy home is no smell at all," said Takaro.
12Takaro said parents should read labels and look for products that are free of substances like chemical colors and smells.
13Also, they should consider natural cleaning products instead of chemical ones.
14The study appeared in the medical publication CMAJ earlier this month.
15The researchers wrote that the first months of life are very important for development of the body's natural defenses, known as the immune system.
16The same is true for the organs involved in breathing.
17Chemicals in cleaning products can cause chronic inflammation that may lead to asthma.
18It also may make symptoms appear more often and intensely, the researchers noted.
19Asthma can be difficult to diagnose with breathing tests involving young children.
20So researchers also tested the children's skin for allergies and asked parents how often children experienced symptoms like trouble breathing.
21The most commonly used cleaning products in the study were dishwashing soap, multipurpose cleaners, glass cleaners and soap for washing clothes.
22The American Lung Association recommends avoiding cleaning products that contain volatile organic substances and other irritants.
23But companies in Canada and the United States are not required to list all the chemicals in cleaning products.
24Some products labeled as environmentally friendly, or "green," may contain harmful substances.
25Elissa Abrams, who wrote comments on the study, is a doctor with the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada.
26She admitted that the effects of cleaning products are not well understood.
27But she believes these products and the chemicals they contain act as irritants to growing children.
28Young children who spend a lot of time indoors may be at greater risk, said Abrams.
29"The take-home message is that parents should be careful which cleaning products they use in the home," she added.
30I'm Pete Musto.
1New parents who clean their homes very often to protect their babies from bacteria and other organisms might want to cut back their efforts. 2A new study suggests that high levels of contact with cleaning products are linked to an increased risk of the childhood breathing condition known as asthma. 3Researchers asked a group of parents how often they used 26 common household cleaners during their babies' first three to four months of life. By age three, the children who had come in contact with cleaning products the most were more likely to be diagnosed with asthma. The researchers said that children who had a lot of contact with cleaners were 37 percent more likely to have asthma than children with the least contact. 4The study also found that a lot of exposure to cleaning products caused children to be 35 percent more likely to have chronic difficulty breathing. In addition, they were 49 percent more likely to have chronic allergies. 5Tim Takaro, who helped lead the study, is a doctor with Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada. He told the Reuters news service he understands that parents want to make their homes safe for their children. But he suggests that they should question the belief that their home is clean only if it smells like chemical-based cleaning products. 6"Instead, we propose that the smell of a healthy home is no smell at all," said Takaro. 7Takaro said parents should read labels and look for products that are free of substances like chemical colors and smells. Also, they should consider natural cleaning products instead of chemical ones. 8The study appeared in the medical publication CMAJ earlier this month. The researchers wrote that the first months of life are very important for development of the body's natural defenses, known as the immune system. The same is true for the organs involved in breathing. 9Chemicals in cleaning products can cause chronic inflammation that may lead to asthma. It also may make symptoms appear more often and intensely, the researchers noted. 10Asthma can be difficult to diagnose with breathing tests involving young children. So researchers also tested the children's skin for allergies and asked parents how often children experienced symptoms like trouble breathing. 11The most commonly used cleaning products in the study were dishwashing soap, multipurpose cleaners, glass cleaners and soap for washing clothes. 12The American Lung Association recommends avoiding cleaning products that contain volatile organic substances and other irritants. But companies in Canada and the United States are not required to list all the chemicals in cleaning products. Some products labeled as environmentally friendly, or "green," may contain harmful substances. 13Elissa Abrams, who wrote comments on the study, is a doctor with the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. She admitted that the effects of cleaning products are not well understood. But she believes these products and the chemicals they contain act as irritants to growing children. 14Young children who spend a lot of time indoors may be at greater risk, said Abrams. 15"The take-home message is that parents should be careful which cleaning products they use in the home," she added. 16I'm Pete Musto. 17Lisa Rapaport reported this story for the Reuters news service. Pete Musto adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. 18_____________________________________________________________ 19Words in This Story 20diagnose(d) - v. to recognize a disease or illness in someone 21exposure - n. the fact or condition of being affected by something or experiencing something 22chronic - adj. continuing or happening again and again for a long time 23allergies - n. a kind of medical condition that causes someone to become sick after eating, touching, or breathing something that is harmless to most people 24label(s) - n. a piece of paper, cloth, or similar material that is connected to something to identify or describe it 25inflammation - n. a condition in which a part of your body becomes red, swollen, and painful 26symptom(s) - n. a change in the body or mind which indicates that a disease is present 27multipurpose - adj. having more than one use or purpose 28volatile - adj. likely to become dangerous or out of control 29irritant - n. something that makes part of your body sore and painful