SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — It’s something we all do every day, all day long. We breathe over 22,000 times a day, but what if the air we’re breathing is harming us and our children? The World Health Organization reports more than 90% of children breathe air so polluted by the burning of fossil fuels, that it puts their health at risk. So, what can parents do to protect little lungs from air pollution?
Lisa Patel, MD is raising Ahinsa and Roshan Buck to care about the environment.
“Don’t pollute the ocean,” said Roshan.
“We walk to school instead of driving,” Ahinsa told Ivanhoe.
As a Stanford pediatrician and leading expert on climate change and children’s health, Dr. Patel worries for her own children and yours.
“There is no level of pollution that is considered safe,” she explained.
Air pollution from burning coal, gas and oil can cause respiratory problems in children, such as asthma. Studies show it can alter the immune system and negatively impact neurodevelopment and cognitive ability. It’s also been linked to sudden infant death syndrome and premature birth. What can parents do? Check local air quality daily. Download the free EPA app Air Now. It gives a quick color-coded look at air quality in your hometown. Green is good, but when the needle moves to orange:
“Wear a well fitted N95 or KN95 mask,” said Dr. Patel.
Also, install an H-VAC system in your home.
“If you don’t have an H-VAC system in your home, then investing in an air purifier that’s the right size for the size of the room that you’re in,” stated Dr. Patel.
If you can’t afford an air purifier, you can do it yourself with a simple fan and filter. Also keep your kids indoors on poor air quality days. Dr. Patel says to get rid of your gas top stove.
“Thirteen percent of pediatric asthma cases are attributable to those gas stoves. And so, this is just one of those things like smoking or like seat belts,” she explained.
And Dr. Patel emphasizes we need to support a transition to renewable forms of energy, which has immediate health benefits for our kids.
She emphasizes the critical need for improved indoor air quality in schools. Dr. Patel says 40% of schools don’t have sufficient ventilation systems. Schools can significantly enhance indoor air quality by investing in modern H-VAC systems and regularly maintaining air filters. Dr. Patel also stresses schools near busy roads or industrial areas may be exposed to even more harmful pollutants. By creating green schoolyards and having alternate plans for days when air pollution levels are high, schools can mitigate the impact of outdoor air pollution on students’ health and academic performance.
Contributors to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, Executive Producer; Joe Alexander, Videographer; and Bob Walko, Editor.
Produced by Child Trends News Service in partnership with Ivanhoe Broadcast News and funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
To receive a free weekly e-mail on positive parenting from Ivanhoe, sign up at: http://www.ivanhoe.com/ftk
Sources:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2528642/
If this story or any other Ivanhoe story has impacted your life or prompted you or someone you know to seek or change treatments, please let us know by contacting Marjorie Bekaert Thomas at mthomas@ivanhoe.com
