Introduction and Summary:
Workshop on Children's Health and Indoor Mold Exposure
Ragnar Rylander1
and Ruth Etzel2
1Department of
Environmental Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; 2Division
of Epidemiology and Risk Assessment, Food Safety and Inspection Service,
Washington, DC USA
Abstract
To evaluate the health consequences for children of indoor exposure to
molds, an international workshop was organized with 15 scientists from eight
countries. The participants agreed that exposure to molds may constitute a
health threat to children resulting in respiratory symptoms in both the
upper and lower airways, an increased incidence of infections, and skin
symptoms. Allergy, either to molds or to other indoor agents, also presents
a health risk. At very high exposure levels to specific molds, nose
bleeding, hemoptysis, and pulmonary hemorrhage have been documented.
Pediatricians and allergists need to obtain information about mold and
dampness in the home environment when examining children with chronic
respiratory symptoms, recurrent infections, or persistent fatigue and
headache. Measurement techniques are available to determine exposure. Most
important, the source of dampness must be eliminated and the indoor
environment must be thoroughly cleaned of molds. Key words: asthma,
inflammation, molds, prevention, sampling. -- Environ Health Perspect
107(suppl 3):465-468 (1999).
http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/1999/suppl-3/465-468rylander/abstract.html
This article is based on a
presentation at the International Conference on Indoor Mold and Children
held 21-24 April 1998 in Alexandria, Virginia.
Address
correspondence to R. Rylander, Department of Environmental Medicine,
University of Gothenburg, Box 414, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden. Telephone:
46 31 773 3601. Fax: 46 31 82 5004. E-mail:
ragnar.rylander@envmed.gu.se
Received 3 September 1998;
accepted 4 November 1998.
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