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Christian Doc Cautions Parents About Asthma Risk in Daycares

by Mary Rettig
May 19, 2006

(AgapePress) - - A pediatrician in New York says the Swedish study on daycare and allergies has definite implications for American parents.

The study found that preschool-age children in daycare centers are more likely to develop allergy symptoms than are children in a home environment. The researchers says the group atmosphere in a daycare setting is more likely to foster respiratory illness which can develop into allergies and asthma.

Specifically, according to the study by the SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute, children in daycare had an increased risk of 23 percent for asthma, 75 percent for hay fever, 33 percent for wheeze, and 27 percent for food allergy. In addition, daycare children showed a 56 percent increased risk for cough, 15 percent for rhinitis, and 49 percent for eczema. The study appears in the journal Allergy. (See related story)

Dr. Nick Yates, a spokesman for the Christian Medical & Dental Associations, says these findings should concern parents somewhat, but not overly.

"The point or the fact is [parents of] some children just need to use daycare for whatever reason," says Yates. "They might be single parents, or perhaps one of the parents or child caretakers is unavailable -- they're sick themselves, perhaps somebody's out of the country, or a parent just needs to go to work."

According to Yates, parents should be particularly concerned about symptoms of asthma in daycare children.

"A lot of times we do see illnesses triggering asthma in children who might be prone to it," he explains. "For example, just the common cold may trigger an asthmatic illness. Also, with asthma we see allergens such as smoke, dander, perhaps animals, can cause asthma symptoms, too."

Yates says parents need to watch their children for early signs of sickness and keep them at home if necessary. He also suggests that if parents are serious about cutting the risk of allergies and asthma for their child, they should have one parent stay at home or have a grandparent or friend watch the child during the day. Above all, he adds, the most important thing is for the parents to be aware of their child's and the community's health, and to take common-sense precautions to keep healthy.

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