(Press-News.org) ANN ARBOR, Mich. – As smoke from Canada's historic wildfires triggers poor air quality alerts across the country, many parents worry about the impact on their child’s health, a new national poll suggests.
Two-thirds of parents say over the past two years they have experienced at least one day with poor or unhealthy air quality in their area, according to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health.
In response to poor air quality alerts, most parents kept their windows closed and limited their child’s time outdoors while less than half had their child avoid strenuous outdoor activities or used a home air filter. Fewer, one in nine, had their child wear a mask when outdoors and one in seven took no action at all.
But while two in three parents are concerned about how air quality problems may affect their children, fewer feel confident about what steps they should take to protect them.
“Our report suggests poor air quality is a common issue for families. Local news and weather reports may help parents gauge their community’s air quality, but many seem unsure about how to protect their child when air quality worsens,” said Susan Woolford, M.D., M.P.H., pediatrician at U-M Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and co-director of the Mott Poll.
“Children's organs are still developing, making them more susceptible to health risks from exposure to polluted air caused by wildfire smoke and other pollutants,” she added. “This makes it essential to take precautions to protect their well-being when the air is unhealthy.”
Among parents who reported poor air quality in the past two years, 18 % believe it affected their child’s health, according to the nationally representative report based on responses from 2,044 parents of children aged 18 and under who were surveyed in August.
The majority of parents believe poor air quality was related to wildfires while less than half blame excessive heat. Fewer point to seasonal changes such as pollen, elevated ozone levels and industrial pollution. More than 90% of parents cite news or weather reports as their main information source about air quality problems.
Partnering with schools, community groups
Just 21 % of parents report being aware that their child’s school has a policy outlining action steps when the air quality is unhealthy. Most parents support moving recess and physical education indoors and canceling outdoor sports and activities while fewer support encouraging children to wear masks outside.
“Being outdoors is generally good for children’s physical and mental health but parents must also consider the risks of exposure to pollution,” Woolford said. “When air quality problems are expected to be temporary, moving activities indoors or planning outdoor events for early in the day when air quality tends to be better may be warranted to prevent high levels of exposure.”
She adds that local and state policymakers may also take steps to mitigate the negative effects of poor air quality, such as by enacting zoning policies that keep heavy traffic away from schools or funding filters to improve air quality for schools, daycares and community organizations.
“Policymakers should consider the impact on babies and young children, particularly of long-term sources of pollution from sources such as factories and refineries,” she said.
Woolford offers top tips for parents worried about their community’s air quality:
Understand the short and long term risks
Air quality is particularly important for children’s health because they breathe faster than adults leading to their lungs being exposed to more pollution per pound of body weight than adults, Woolford says. Children also typically spend more time outside than adults and their developing bodies are more susceptible to the long-term impact of pollution.
For families without a history of asthma or environmental allergies, parents may be less focused on poor air quality, but small particles from pollution can get into the deepest parts of the lungs in even the healthiest kids, Woolford notes. This exposure has been linked with a range of health risks, including childhood cancer and stroke and heart disease later in life.
Stay informed
Stay updated on local air quality reports and wildfire alerts to help make informed decisions about kids’ outdoor activities.
Woolford also encourages discussing the issue with their child’s health care provider and consider other recommended sources, such as AirNow.gov, for more explanations.
Be watchful for worrisome symptoms
Exposure to unhealthy air quality can negatively impact a child’s lungs, causing or exacerbating respiratory diseases such as asthma and bronchitis.
Parents of children with asthma need to be particularly careful to identify and act on situations where the air quality is poor.
Concerning symptoms include wheezing, coughing, and other signs of breathing difficulties. If these occur, parents should remove their child from the source of the poor air quality when possible and contact their child’s health care provider.
“If your child has preexisting respiratory conditions like asthma, consult their healthcare provider for advice on managing their condition during events that increase their risk of pollutant exposure,” Woolford said.
Limit outdoor activities and consider masks
On days with poor air quality, especially during active wildfires, reduce or eliminate outdoor activities. Woolford recommends parents encourage indoor play and exercise instead.
If children must be outside, ensure that they do not engage in strenuous activity that would cause them to take deep rapid breaths. Some may also consider having children wear a KN95 mask outdoors to filter out toxic particles.
Create a safe indoor environment
Keep windows closed during days with poor air quality to prevent smoke from entering the home and use filters and air purifiers to help reduce indoor pollution.
When air quality is severely compromised, consider evacuating to an area with better air quality until conditions improve.
Know school and youth sports policies
Particularly on warmer days, schools should implement guidelines to manage students’ exposure on high pollution days based on the color-coded Air Quality Index. School officials may also consider asking parents not to idle their car during drop-off and pick-up times.
Youth sports programs and other organizations that run outdoor activities for kids may also consider canceling or rescheduling events.
“Schools play an important role in protecting children from the adverse effects of poor air quality,” Woolford said. “We found that most parents are supportive of protective actions, such as moving recess and physical education indoors.”
END
National Poll: 2 in 3 parents say their kids have experienced poor air quality
Most parents support schools moving recess and physical education indoors to protect children from poor air quality
2023-09-18
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Why do some environmental shocks lead to disaster while others don't?
2023-09-18
It's no longer just about stopping, but how we can live with climate change. To figure this out, we must delve into our cultures, as highlighted in a special issue of The Royal Society. A study by the Complexity Science Hub points out how our history could help guide the way.
Currently, we are grappling with a global crisis convergence. Various types of threats intersect, intertwine, and test our collective resilience, from climate change and economic inequality to political polarization. Although the scale and global reach of these challenges present new hurdles, these threats have been faced and, sometimes, overcome in the past. Societies today ...
Captive pandas could be ‘jet lagged’ if their body clocks don’t match their environment
2023-09-18
All animals have an internal clock called a circadian clock, which is regulated by cues from their environment — but animals in zoos can be exposed to very different cues from animals in the wild. Since all animals’ circadian clocks are linked to their behavior and physiology, this could be significant to their welfare, which is crucial to maintaining captive populations of animals at high risk of extinction in the wild, like giant pandas. Scientists set out to understand how the ‘jet lag’ of living ...
MXene, a dream new material, paves the way for mass production
2023-09-18
Developed in 2011, MXene is a two-dimensional nanomaterial with alternating metal and carbon layers, which has high electrical conductivity and can be combined with various metal compounds, making it a material that can be utilized in various industries such as semiconductors, electronic devices, and sensors. To properly utilize MXene, it is important to know the type and amount of molecules covered on the surface, and if the molecules covered on the surface are fluorine, the electrical conductivity of decreases and the efficiency of electromagnetic wave shielding decreases. However, since it is only 1 nm (nanometer - billionth of a meter) thick, ...
What is the carbon footprint of a hospital bed?
2023-09-18
Researchers from the University of Waterloo completed the first-ever assessment of a Canadian hospital to reveal its total environmental footprint and specific carbon emission hotspots.
Studying a hospital in British Columbia during its 2019 fiscal year, the researchers identified energy and water use and purchasing of medical products as the hospital’s primary hotspots, accounting for over half of the yearly footprint, totalling 3500-5000 tons of CO2 equivalent. One hospital bed is roughly equivalent to the carbon footprint of five Canadian households.
The new method brings an unprecedented level of comprehensiveness and detail to hospital ...
Early treatment of child obesity is effective
2023-09-18
The early treatment of obesity in children is effective in both the short and long term, researchers from Karolinska Institutet report in a study published in The International Journal of Obesity.
The researchers followed over 170 young children in Sweden who had received treatment for diagnosed obesity. The children were recruited to the randomised controlled study when they were between four and six years old via children’s clinics in Region Stockholm.
The children and their parents were randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions: standard treatment, parental support group, or parental support group with follow-up telephone ...
Study finds significant chemical exposures in women with cancer
2023-09-18
In a sign that exposure to certain endocrine-disrupting chemicals may be playing a role in cancers of the breast, ovary, skin and uterus, researchers have found that people who developed those cancers have significantly higher levels of these chemicals in their bodies.
While it does not prove that exposure to chemicals like PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) and phenols (including BPA) led to these cancer diagnoses, it is a strong signal that they may be playing a role and should be studied further.
The study showed that particularly for women, higher ...
Societal collapse is underway and museums can be unlikely heroes, suggests expert
2023-09-18
Museums and Societal Collapse: The Museum as Lifeboat presents evidence and theories around collapse and extinction, while locating the responsibility of museums in our changing world
Stressors like climate trauma, corporate deceit and political incompetence signal the threat of societal collapse, a new book asserts.
This claim lays the foundation for exploring arguments of ‘collapsology’ in new work by Robert R. Janes Ph.D., Museums and Societal Collapse: The Museum as Lifeboat. The book also contends with the unique role that can be played by museums during a mounting climate crisis.
“Social ...
Transfer of ageing: New drug class prevents key ageing mechanism in organ transplants
2023-09-18
(18 September 2023, Athens, Greece) A novel study has shown that Senolytics, a new class of drugs, have the potential to prevent the transfer of senescence*, a key mechanism of ageing, and the associated physical and cognitive impairments in recipients of older donor organs. 1
The pioneering research, presented today at the European Society for Organ Transplantation (ESOT) Congress 2023, opens promising avenues for expanding the organ donor pool and enhancing patient outcomes.
By transplanting older donor organs into younger ...
Ultrasound scans by doctors in emergency departments to diagnose deep vein thrombosis halve patients’ stay and may help to reduce over-crowding
2023-09-18
Barcelona, Spain: If doctors in hospital emergency departments are trained to carry out ultrasound on patients with suspected deep vein thrombosis (DVT), they can nearly halve the time the patients spend in these departments.
Dr Ossi Hannula, an emergency medicine specialist at the Wellbeing Services County of Central Finland, Jyväskylä, Finland, who presented the findings at the European Emergency Medicine Congress today (Monday), said his findings could help to reduce overcrowding in emergency departments ...
Brain-altering parasite turns ants into zombies at dawn and dusk
2023-09-17
Imagine coming-to, jaws gripping the top of a swaying blade of grass, unaware of how you got there. That's the reality for ants infected with the lancet liver fluke, a tiny parasitic flatworm. Liver flukes have a complicated, almost insanely conceived life cycle, which begins with the hijacking of the ant’s brain. The unsuspecting ant climbs up and clamps its powerful jaws onto the top of a blade of grass, making it more likely to be eaten by grazers such as cattle and deer.
Researchers from the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Plant ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Insulin resistance is linked to over 30 diseases – and to early death in women, study of people in the UK finds
Innovative semaglutide hydrogel could reduce diabetes shots to once a month
Weight loss could reduce the risk of severe infections in people with diabetes, UK research suggests
Long-term exposure to air pollution and a lack of green space increases the risk of hospitalization for respiratory conditions
Better cardiovascular health in early pregnancy may offset high genetic risk
Artificial intelligence method transforms gene mutation prediction in lung cancer: DeepGEM data releases at IASLC 2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer
Antibody–drug conjugate I-DXd shows clinically meaningful response in patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer
IASLC Global Survey on biomarker testing reveals progress and persistent barriers in lung cancer biomarker testing
Research shows pathway to developing predictive biomarkers for immune checkpoint inhibitors
Just how dangerous is Great Salt Lake dust? New research looks for clues
Maroulas appointed Associate Vice Chancellor, Director of AI Tennessee
New chickadee research finds cognitive skills impact lifespan
Cognitive behavioral therapy enhances brain circuits to relieve depression
Terasaki Institute awarded $2.3 Million grant from NIH for organ transplantation research using organs-on-a-chip technology
Atoms on the edge
Postdoc takes multipronged approach to muon detection
Mathematical proof: Five satellites needed for precise navigation
Scalable, multi-functional device lays groundwork for advanced quantum applications
Falling for financial scams? It may signal early Alzheimer’s disease
Integrating MRI and OCT for new insights into brain microstructure
Designing a normative neuroimaging library to support diagnosis of traumatic brain injury
Department of Energy announces $68 million in funding for artificial intelligence for scientific research
DOE, ORNL announce opportunity to define future of high-performance computing
Molecular simulations, supercomputing lead to energy-saving biomaterials breakthrough
Low-impact yoga and exercise found to help older women manage urinary incontinence
Genetic studies reveal new insights into cognitive impairment in schizophrenia
Researcher develops technology to provide cleaner energy and cleaner water
Expect the unexpected: nanoscale silver unveils intrinsic self-healing abilities
nTIDE September 2024 Jobs Report: Gains in employment for people with disabilities appear to level off after reducing gaps with non-disabled workers
Wiley enhances NMR Spectral Library Collection with extensive new databases
[Press-News.org] National Poll: 2 in 3 parents say their kids have experienced poor air qualityMost parents support schools moving recess and physical education indoors to protect children from poor air quality