Living in Damp Houses Tied to Asthma in Kids

A new study has claimed that living in damp or mouldy houses is associated with asthma, allergies, hay fever and eczema in children.The extensive worldwide study of the link between damp homes and respiratory and allergic conditions, involved 46,000 children in 20 countries and provided extensive evidence that living in damp or mouldy homes is tied to asthma.

Levels of house dust mites were also higher in damp homes and children were more likely to become allergic to house dust mites in damp homes, but the increased levels of house dust mites were not associated with wheezing. The researchers from the University of Otago, Wellington (UOW), who were involved in the study, said that dampness itself that appears to be the problem.

 The associations were found regardless of how affluent the countries were, and were not associated with allergy itself, suggesting that these effects are not as a result of allergy to moulds or house dust mites," UOW researcher Professor Julian Crane said.

The study was published in the journal Clinical and Experimental Allergy.

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