Feels like a long time since we’ve done this, doesn’t it? Forgive the brief summaries, please. My head continues to spin from this move at the same time that I’m setting up doctors, getting the girls adjusted to their new school (which they love), and continuing to gape in disbelief over the way Colorado so far lives up to every expectation I had and every postcard I’ve seen.
Traffic Pollution + Pregnancy = Childhood Asthma?
No one out there can possibly need another reason to support strong clean air policies, but here’s maybe the best one yet. New York umbilical cord studies suggest traffic pollution can cause enough genetic womb tissue changes that lead to asthma.
And then there’s the pollution inside:
Indoor Particle Pollution Worsens Kids’ Asthma
This study adds to the ever-growing pile of evidence that poor air quality inside children’s homes – synthetic cleaners and air fresheners are just two of the culprits here – can have worse effects on their asthma than outdoor pollution. Honestly, writing about all this indoor/outdoor/backwards/sideways air pollution and asthma news feels somewhat ridiculous.
Let’s just clean the damn air already, shall we?
New MRI Technique Shows Inside Lungs
University of Virginia scientists have been using this technique to see what happens inside asthmatics’ lungs, something no one’s really done effectively yet. Beyond the implications of the new technology for diagnostic and treatment options is this intriguing bit: asthma patients can still have narrowed airways even while on maintenance medication, and they’re the same airways. That means asthma may concentrate just on certain airways.
Kids Should Keep Taking Steroids for Asthma Improvement
The Childhood Asthma Management Program (CAMP) trial showed inhaled corticosteroid benefits didn’t stick around after children stopped using the maintenance meds, but that’s not the most interesting part of the research. This is:
“The interesting thing is that as kids with asthma get older, they actually do better,” said Robert C. Strunk, M.D., a Washington University pediatrician at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and lead author of the study. “We used to say they were outgrowing their asthma. What we know now is that as they go from being young children to age 20, their airways get bigger. They still have asthma but don’t have as much trouble from it.”
Lots of good info here. I had asthma as a child, but it did get better once I grew up. So I agree with the statement by Dr. R.C. Strunk.
First time here and just starting to read through everything. I’ve been reading a lot of blogs, but never even thought of looking for any asthma related until recently.
Hey! Good to hear from you again. Great links today!