NEWS RELEASE

 

March 5, 2001

American Academy of Pediatrics

 

Eliminating Household Factors Key to Reducing Childhood Asthma

 

Chicago – The elimination of household pollutants and allergens could result in a nearly 40 percent decrease in asthma among children ages 6 and younger, according to a study published in the March issue of Pediatrics.  The study looked at more than 8,000 children, of which 6 percent had doctor-diagnosed asthma.  Many of these children had allergic rhinitis and lived in a home or apartment with a dog or pet, exposure to smoke, a gas stove or oven for heat, and other household allergens and pollutants.  Elimination of these factors could have a profound effect on the health of children, as well as hospitalization rates, emergency and clinic visits, and direct and indirect medical costs.

 

EDITOR’S NOTE:  Study co-author Michael Weitzman is the Executive Director of the Center for Child Health Research – a national research institute created by the American Academy of Pediatrics.  The mission of the center is to improve the physical, mental and social health of children by facilitating and conducting new research, and developing new ways to inform public policies and improve medical practices.  For more information on the center, go the www.aap.org/cchr/new/index.html.

 

The study was published in Pediatrics, the peer-reviewed, scientific journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), but does not necessarily reflect the policies or opinions of the Academy.  The AAP is an organization of 55,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.

 

© 2001 American Academy of Pediatrics