Outdoor pools pose asthma risk ...

10/10/2008

ATTENTION to all parents out there !

A study has found that outdoor pools can increase the risk of a child becoming asthmatic.

SWIMMING in outdoor chlorinated pools appears to increase the odds a child will develop asthma. In outdoor pools, harmful vapour remain on the surface and do not drift away. And because children tend to spend more time in pools, they are more likely to swallow chlorinated water or ingest vapour containing chemicals that attack the cellular barriers protecting the lung from allergens.

The new study, published in the European Respiratory Journal, casts doubt on the idea outdoor pools are safer than indoor ones where chlorine vapour remains trapped inside an enclosed space.

Asthma, which affects more than 300 million people worldwide, is the most common paediatric chronic illness. Symptoms include wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing and chest tightness.