Keeping your house clean and keeping an eye out for damp problems is probably the last thing on your mind when you are trying to raise a young child.
But infants are almost three times more likely to develop asthma by the age of seven if they have been exposed to mould.
Mould thrives in damp areas of the home, particularly in the kitchen or bathroom, or areas where water is coming into the home from outside
The black areas where mould grows may not look very nice, but it may also be having a negative effect on your family’s wellbeing.
A study looking at the risk of children developing asthma followed a group of 176 children living in the Cincinnati, Ohio and Northern Kentucky areas of America from birth.
The results showed that 18 percent of those children had asthma by the age of seven.
Those who had high levels of mould in their home during the first year of their life were two and a half times more likely to have asthma than those with low levels of mould.
Family history of asthma and sensitivity to allergens were also associated with the increase in asthma risk as a child.
Those children with air-conditioning at home experienced a slight reduction in the risk of developing asthma.
The results of this study show how important it can be to keep your home free of mould. Tiny spores are released into the air from mould patches and, like dust particles, fill the air in your home and are breathed in by you and your family. The spores act as an irritant and can cause asthma attacks.
If your child is experiencing a nagging cough, shortness of breath and wheezing, they may have developed asthma and need to see a doctor. The quicker asthma can be diagnosed, the faster treatment can start and the less likely your child is to experience a severe attack.
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