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Swimming May Put Infants at Risk for Respiratory Problems
Filed under: In The News, Research Reveals: Babies, Research Reveals: Toddlers & Preschoolers
Does swimming cause asthma in young children? Credit: Jason Tromm, Flickr
The European Respiratory Journal reports this month that infants who swim may have a greater risk of asthma and other respiratory problems later in life.
Researchers in Belgium found chlorinated pools -- combined with sweat, saliva and urine from other swimmers -- can be a dangerous formula for children under 2. In addition to asthma, the study reveals, children are at increased risk of developing hay fever, allergies and bronchiolitis by the time they reach kindergarten.
Family history plays a major role in the risk factor, and indoor pools were found to pose a greater threat than ones outdoors.Researchers looked at 430 Belgian kindergarten students and asked parents about their children's health history, swimming habits and other factors.
Among children exposed to chlorinated pools before the age of 2, 36 percent had a history of bronchiolitis. Only 24 percent of their non-swimming peers had similar problems.
Children who were exposed to chlorinated indoor pools for 20 hours or more before their second birthday were 3.5 times more likely to develop bronchiolitis.
"This suggests that chlorinated pool attendance can increase the risk of asthma and respiratory allergies by making the airways more sensitive not only to allergens but also to infectious agents," senior researcher Dr. Alfred Bernard of Catholic University Louvain in Brussels tells Reuters.
Does that mean parents should keep their infants out of the pool? No, Bernard tells the news service.
"Parents should, however, not lose sight that chlorine-based disinfectants and their derivatives are strong irritants not only for the skin but also the airways," Bernard adds.
Pools should pass the sniff test. Bernard tells Reuters parents should avoid pools that have a heavy chlorine smell. That could be mean the pool has been over-chlorinated. He adds that parents should take care not to over-chlorinate their private pools.
Parents also can urge public pools to use alternative cleaning methods. Bernard tells Reuters that ozone treatment -- already in in use in Europe -- is becoming increasingly popular in the United States.
Related: Asthma in Children
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
1-29-2010 @ 1:33AM
Sibusiso said...very informative and well researched, i thing this is what every parent should know.
Reply
1-29-2010 @ 5:49PM
Jeff Sloan said...Tom- I appreciate your concern for pool safety. I would like to clarify a few points.
First, it's important to remember that chlorine in the pool is a good thing. It helps control germs that can make swimmers sick.
The recent study should be evaluated carefully, keeping in mind that previous studies have yielded inconsistent results. A 2008 review (bit.ly/asthmastudy08) of 25 studies stated "it is premature to draw conclusions about the causal link between swimming and asthma."
In addition, swimmers often mistakenly blame a strong "chlorine smell" on too much chlorine. This irritating smell (as well as red eyes and itchy skin) is usually caused by high levels of chloramines, which can actually increase when there is not enough chlorine in the pool. Since chloramines are formed when chlorine reacts with body oils, cosmetics, urine and other contaminants, swimmers can help prevent problems by showering before swimming and never peeing in the pool.
I hope this information is helpful - if you'd like more please visit healthypools.org.
Best,
Jeff Sloan
American Chemistry Council
Reply