CHILDREN have a 37 per cent higher risk of getting asthma in ‘extra clean’ homes, a new study has revealed.
Experts say household cleaning products may damage the lining of airways in young children if they are regularly exposed to them.
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It comes as more than five million people in Britain have asthma, including 1.1million children.
Scientists from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver examined the impact of cleaning products on 2,022 families between 2008 and 2o15 following concerns about the dangers of indoor pollution.
Each family, whose babies were younger than four months, were asked how often they used a list of 26 products, including dishwasher detergent, multi-surface cleaners and laundry soap.
Washing up liquid was the most commonly used – with 90 per cent of families using it each day.
And dishwasher detergent, surface cleaner, laundry detergent and toilet cleaner were used at least once a week by most families.
Recurrent wheeze
The babies in each of the families were than analysed by the researchers for three years – and were subject to annual tests.
The researchers, whose findings are published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, found that the quarter of children whose families had the highest frequent cleaning product use were the most likely to develop asthma.
By the age of three, these children were 37 per cent more likely to have a diagnosis of asthma.
And these kids were also 35 per cent more likely to have a recurrent wheeze when compared with the quarter of families with the lowest cleaning product use.
Damage airways
The team said cleaning chemicals may damage the lining of the airways in babies if they are very frequently exposed to the products.
This could lead to an overactive inflammatory response in the respiratory tract.
Study leader Professor Tim Takaro said: “Our study looked at infants, who typically spend 80 to 90 per cent of their time indoors and are especially vulnerable to chemical exposures through the lungs and skin due to their higher respiration rates and regular contact with household surfaces.”
The American Lung Association said parents should read labels on products and choose those that do not contain volatile organic compounds.
What are the symptoms of asthma?
Asthma is a respiratory condition caused by inflammation of the breathing tubes that carry air to and from our lungs, and it currently affects over 5 million people across the UK.
According to the NHS, the main symptoms of asthma are:
- Wheezing (a whistling sound when breathing)
- Breathlessness
- A tight chest
- Coughing
Although the above symptoms can have a number of causes, they are likely signs of asthma if they happen regularly and keep coming back, are worse at night or early morning, or seem to be in response to an allergen.
The severity of the above symptoms can vary between different people.
When these symptoms suddenly worsen temporarily, it is known as an asthma attack.
Asthma attacks can be caused by allergens, such as animal fur or pollen, cold air, exercise, chest infections or other irritants – such as cigarette smoke.
Allergies and asthma often go together.
Asthma caused by an allergic reaction is known as ‘allergic asthma’.
Using products that are not sprayed can also help.
An article in the same journal said the study had exposed a “potentially important public health concern”.
And it warned: “Even products labelled ‘environmentally friendly’ or ‘green’ may contain harmful substances, as such claims are largely unregulated.”
It comes after experts warned that drying your clothes inside could put kids at risk of having a deadly asthma attack.
In particular, placing wet fabrics in front of a radiator can raise humidity levels – causing mould spores to spread around the home which trigger allergic reactions.
On top of this, it was revealed last year that thousands of people with severe asthma are not getting the life-saving treatment they need.
Asthma UK revealed that four in five people in England who might be at risk of having severe asthma were stuck in “limbo” in primary care instead of being referred to specialists for diagnoses and treatments that could transform or save their lives.
