Children’s Environmental Health

Question 1

Reasons children are at greater risk for environmental exposures than adults

Answer 1

• Smaller body size
• Greater activity rate
• Oral behaviors
• Higher respiratory and heart rate
• Immature liver & kidney function
• Immature immune system

Question 2

Health risks of children exposed to lead

Answer 2

• diminished intelligence
• behavioral disorders
• delinquency

Question 3

Prevention of developmental disorders

Answer 3

• Avoid workplace hazards if you are pregnant.
• Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol if you are pregnant.
• Learn about safe fish eating recommendations for women who might become pregnant, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children.
• Remove or prevent contact with household sources of lead, such as lead based paint and lead contaminated dust and toys.
• Make sure your child gets all the regular childhood vaccines.
• Keep your child away from high noise levels, such as very loud toys.

Question 4

Actions to address environmental health threats to children

Answer 4

• Encourage the development and support of community-level initiatives to reduce environmental health threats to children:
  
  • Numerous field studies have indicated that good personal and household hygiene practices can reduce the occurrence of diarrheal disease, even when there is no access to safe water or modern sanitation
• Raise awareness and provide education about children’s environmental health issues. At the local level, efforts need to be made to:
  
  • Teach children, families, and communities to identify environmental threats to children.
  • Adopt practices that reduce risks of exposure.
  • Work with local authorities and the private sector to develop prevention and intervention programs.

-Reduce children’s exposure to pollutants through education, regulation, use of cleaner fuels, and reduction of environmental tobacco smoke:
-Global health experts recommend a combination of educational programs and legislative interventions to halt tobacco use in settings frequented by children.
Regulations on air pollution in cities must be enforced.

• Evaluate and address the plight of children employed at hazardous workplaces:
  
  • More than 120 countries have ratified the Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labor, which calls for withdrawing children age 16 and younger from intolerable and hazardous work situations, by identifying hazards and developing effective monitoring systems.

Question 5

Atopy

Answer 5

Prone to have allergies – most important risk factor in childhood asthma; less so in adult-onset disease.

Question 6

Asthma

Answer 6

Chronic lung disease characterized by 3 airways problems:

• Inflammation: The lining of the airways becomes swollen
• Obstruction: The muscles around the airways tighten and make airways narrower, reducing airflow and O2 into the lungs, reducing CO2 removal from the lungs, and impeding lung clearance mechanisms.
• Hyper-responsiveness: The airways produce a thick mucus

Question 7

Asthma symptoms

Answer 7

• Wheezing
• Shortness of breath
• Tightness in the chest
• Coughing at night or after physical activity; cough that lasts more than a week
• Waking at night with asthma symptoms (a key marker of uncontrolled asthma)

Question 8

Asthma attack triggers

Answer 8

• Allergens
• House dust mites
• Cockroaches
• Molds (indoors and outdoors)
• Animal dander from dogs, cats, birds, and small rodents
• Pollens from grass and trees
• Indoor & outdoor air pollutants (ETS, cooking gases and smoke)
• Industrial chemicals, organic dusts (occupational asthma)
• Infections in the upper airways, such as colds (a common trigger for both children and adults)
• Strong emotions (crying, laughing)
• Changes in weather and temperature
• Exercise
• Combinations of any of the above

Question 9

Asthma control

Answer 9

• Following an individualized asthma management plan under physician’s care.
• Avoiding or minimizing exposure to things that trigger asthma.
• Advocating and promoting improved indoor environmental quality in public buildings (schools, daycare, offices) and multifamily housing areas.
• Work with physician and meet at least every 6 months.
• Take medications properly
• Quick-relief and long-term control drugs
• Anti-inflammatories (inhaled steroids)
• Bronchodilators
• Use peak-flow meter to monitor asthma control
• Every school should have an asthma action plan on file for each asthmatic student. Parents are responsible for this.
• All asthmatic students should be allowed to carry their asthma medication with them at all times while at school.

Question 10

Minimizing exposures (that may cause episodes of asthma)

Answer 10

• Environmental control
• Control home moisture (eliminate water damage, control RH 30-60%).
• Reduce dust reservoirs and sources that hold allergen triggers (eliminate clutter; clean/replace carpet, upholstered furniture; control pets; implement appropriate/effective cleaning).
• Encase mattresses, use hypoallergenic pillows, launder bedding frequently
• Maximize air filtration (such as continuously running HEPA filtered air cleaning device)