Mold, Asthma and Your Child

Miriam Stevens, Clean Air Advice
July 2006

Asthma is increasing in alarming numbers across the country. The clinical diagnosis of asthma includes a variable airflow and an increased sensitivity in the airways. This condition can develop after a reaction to a specific agent (allergen) and may cause a life-threatening situation within a very short period of exposure. It can also develop after a long-term exposure to irritating agents such as mold that cause an inflammation in the airways in the absence of an allergen.

Several environmental agents have been shown to be associated with the increased incidence of childhood asthma. They include allergens, cat dander, outdoor as well as indoor air pollution, cooking fumes, and infections. There is, however, increasing evidence that mold growth indoors is an important risk factor for children to develop asthma. Over 30 investigations from various countries around the world have demonstrated a close relationship between living in damp homes or homes with mold growth, and the extent of adverse respiratory symptoms in children. Some studies show a direct relation between indoor mold and asthma. Apart from asthma, some studies demonstrate the presence of general symptoms that include fatigue and headache and symptoms from the central nervous system. At excessive exposures, an increased risk for hemorraghic pneumonia and death among infants has been reported.

The knowledge about health risks due to mold exposure is not widespread and your local health authorities may not be aware of the serious reactions mold exposure can provoke in some children. Individual physicians may have difficulty handling the patients because of the lack of recognition of the relationship between the often complex symptoms and mold in the indoor environment because the systems vary by the type of mold, the child's other existing health conditions and the amount of mold the child has inhaled.

Symptoms and Pathology

Children in homes with mold growth are at higher risk for episodic and/or persistent upper respiratory symptoms such as rhinitis, blocked nose, sneezing, eye irritation, and hoarseness, as well as lower respiratory tract symptoms such as dry or productive cough and wheezing. They may also have skin symptoms--itching and redness--that can be present both in exposed areas of the body (suggesting contact dermatitis) or in areas protected by clothing (suggesting other mechanisms).

Systemic symptoms such as headache, fever, excessive fatigue, and joint pains have been described among children in moldy environments. Unusual symptoms related to central nervous system damage have been reported in high-exposure conditions, and particularly in connection with the exposure of infants to certain toxigenic fungi. It is very important that when a physician evaluates a child with these symptoms, they ask specific questions about the home, child care setting, or school environments are asked. If you suspect mold may be an issue for your child make sure you inform your physician.

Although children with diagnosed or suspected asthma dominate the outpatient departments for pediatric lung disease or allergy, data from epidemiologic studies suggest that nonspecific inflammation caused by indoor mold may be the most common pathology among a larger group of children not selected for hospital admission. Children with symptoms related to mold in houses may also be more susceptible to inhaled agents in general such as particulates, smoke, and chemicals. The presence of such increased airway symptoms should be regarded as a further indication to pose questions about the housing environment in which the child lives.

Summary

Empirical evidence points to conclusions that mold can cause or exacerbate asthma. Breathing or inhaling mold is harmful to anyone's health but with infants and growing children it could have a long lasting and damaging affect on their life.

Related Articles

• Do You Have a Mold Problem?
• Mold, Mildew and Fungi
• Tips for a Dust-Free Home
• What Are You Breathing?
• 12 Steps to Improve Indoor Air Quality