Allergens in carpets may increase children's asthma risk - Home Study Program - Brief Article

AORN Journal,  August, 2002  

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Removing rugs and carpets from schools could help reduce symptoms of asthma, as well as prevent the development of asthma in children, according to a March 4, 2002, news release from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Researchers in Baltimore performed visual assessments of Baltimore's public schools in an effort to determine why 10% to 20% of children in that city have asthma. The national average is 7.5%.

Researchers examined carpets, mold growth, cockroach and mouse infestation, and heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems in 12 schools. An average of 13% of the students in these schools has asthma, with an asthma prevalence ranging from 2% to 27%, according to the release.

Researchers analyzed dust samples for dust mite, cat, dog, cockroach, and mouse allergens. Although each of the allergens was present to some degree in all study locations, schools with rugs or carpets were found to have higher levels of cat, dog, cockroach, and mouse allergens, creating a potential trigger for asthmatic reactions.

Asthma on the Rise: Researchers Explore the Asthma Epidemic in America (news release, Milwaukee: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, March 4, 2002) http//www.aaaai.org/media/news_releases/ 2002/03/030402.html (accessed 19 March 2002) 2.

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