How Indoor Air Quality Affects Children’s Lung Development: What Parents Should Know
When you are caring for a child, making decisions about their health can feel overwhelming, whether you are considering their diet, lifestyle choices or the exercise they enjoy. However, parents and carers do not always realise that indoor air quality can be a major factor in the health and well-being of their children.
At WonderCare, we speak with many parents and carers who are concerned about coughs, wheezing and allergies. These issues can all be linked to the air quality in your home, and we often see children coughing and wheezing when air quality is compromised. We tend to spend a great deal of time in our homes, especially when we are asleep, and so indoor air quality is a very important consideration for our short and long-term health.
Lung Development in Children
Children’s lungs are still developing and, as such, they are much more vulnerable to problems than adult lungs. The lungs continue growing and developing alveoli – the tiny air sacs inside the lungs – until around the age of eight, and the function of the lungs continues to develop until adulthood. If a child is growing up in an environment with poor air quality, this can affect the development of the lungs and lead to reduced lung capacity, which can also have an effect in adult life.
Children breathe more rapidly than adults, taking in more air from the environment than adults do, and this means that pollutants in the atmosphere are much more likely to affect children as they are inhaling them in larger quantities. Added to this, it is important to consider that many allergens and pollutants are present on the floor, including pet hair, dust and chemical cleaners. This means that babies and children are exposed to these more readily when they are crawling or playing on the floor, and ensuring that the environment is as clean as possible can make a big difference to breathing and healthy lung development.
Common Indoor Pollutants
In the long term, exposure to indoor pollutants has been linked with an increased risk of chest infections and asthma, as well as other allergic conditions such as eczema and rhinitis. The consequences of growing up in an environment with poor air quality can also include difficulties sleeping and trouble concentrating, and it is vital to improve air quality in the home wherever possible.
Pollutants in the home can include:
• Damp and mould. Damp environments and mould spores can seriously compromise air quality, particularly in homes that are old and prone to damp. Poor ventilation can worsen these issues, and children living in these conditions may be more likely to develop respiratory problems such as wheezing, coughing and sinus infections. A dehumidifier can help to reduce moisture in the air, but you will need to seek professional advice to get rid of mould, especially if you have black mould, which can be extremely damaging to health.
• Dust mites. Dust mites are minuscule organisms that are found in mattresses, bedding, carpets and soft toys and can cause severe irritation to the lungs. Regular cleaning can help to eliminate dust mites, and this can reduce the severity of allergies and even asthma.
• Chemicals. From the chemicals that are released during cooking to chemical cleaners containing VOCs, substances in the home can cause pollution and allergies. Vulnerable lungs can be irritated by common chemicals, and when indoor space is not ventilated properly, the pollutants stay in the lungs and cause more damage. It is important to be aware that these chemicals are also present in air fresheners and cleaning sprays.
• Smoke particles. Cigarette and wood smoke particles can linger in the air and on clothing and soft furnishings, so it is very important to ensure that no one smokes inside your home and that open fires are properly ventilated. An excess of smoke particles can contribute to the development of chest and ear infections, stunted lung growth and even SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).
When children inhale pollutants and allergens, the lungs become irritated and inflamed, and this can disrupt normal growth and reduce lung capacity. Children who spend a lot of time breathing in poor-quality air are more likely to develop chronic problems with their respiratory systems as they grow.
Improving Indoor Air Quality
The good news is that you can improve indoor air quality and help your child(ren) to breathe more easily. Ventilation, heating and humidity are all important factors to consider when you are trying to support good respiratory health, and there are many ways to do this.
We recommend:
• Using a dehumidifier. High humidity can encourage dust mites in your home, and a dehumidifier can help to reduce moisture and create a healthier environment for the lungs. This is especially helpful if your home is damp or has a mould problem, and can significantly improve air quality. A high-quality air purifier, such as the Salin Plus air purifier, is another great way to improve the quality of the air in your home and can help reduce allergens and soothe the lungs for better respiratory health.
• Maintaining a clean environment. Keeping your home clean will reduce the amount of dust mites, and washing bedding weekly is a good place to start. You can improve the efficiency of your cleaning routine by ensuring that your vacuum cleaner uses high-quality HEPA filters, and you should also ensure that soft toys and soft furnishings are regularly washed or popped into the freezer for 24 hours to kill dust mites.
• Using an extractor fan. When cooking, it is vital to use an extractor fan to reduce harmful particulates that are released during frying or cooking. You should also keep the door closed while cooking to protect the environment in other areas of the house, especially bedrooms. Don’t forget to use your bathroom extractor fan every time you shower or bathe to reduce moisture in the air.
• Improve ventilation. The simplest way to improve ventilation in your home is to open windows on a daily basis, even if only for a short time, and you should do this all year round.
• Consider the products you use. Think carefully about the chemicals you are introducing into your home and look for natural products or fragrance-free options wherever possible. Be especially careful with air fresheners, and avoid the plug-in designs that contain strong chemical compounds.
Look out for symptoms such as frequent coughing or wheezing, especially at night, and shortness of breath while exercising. Itchy eyes or skin can be a sign of poor air quality, and frequent chest infections or ear infections while at home are also common problems. If you notice that your child’s health improves when you are on holiday or away from home, the air quality in your home is likely contributing to the problem.
Family Healthcare at WonderCare
Our experienced team can help you take care of your child’s health, and we can advise you on the best way to improve the air quality in your home. We know that good health in the early years creates the foundation for lifelong wellbeing and helps to protect against chronic conditions and lung damage.
We offer delivery across Ireland, Northern Ireland and the UK, and we offer free shipping on orders over €40. You can shop on our website for delivery to your door or collect your order in store and meet our friendly team.
