Cleaners, Solvents May Raise Kids Asthma Risks
(HealthDayNews, 8/26/04)

Australian researchers at Curtin University of Technology in Perth studied 88 toddlers with asthma and 104 without. The investigators tested the subjects for allergic reactions, had parents complete questionnaires about the children’s health and assessed their homes for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are found in fumes from chemicals like cleaning products, solvents and floor adhesives, as well as cigarette smoke. The scientists found that VOC levels were much higher in the homes of children with asthma,. These findings suggest that early exposure to indoor pollutants may be a factor in later development of asthma.

(Thorax, August 2004).