Indoor Pollution from Coal Stoves Stunts Children’s Growth, Study Finds
By Patrick Corcoran
February 8, 2011, posted at http://www.fairwarning.org
Indoor pollution caused by coal stoves used by millions around the world may
stunt the development of children.
According to a new study of families in the Czech Republic, children raised
in houses with coal heating stoves are on average a half-inch shorter than
their peers by the age of 3. And if someone in the house smokes cigarettes,
the problem is worse — the research found a growth disparity of 0.8 inches.
The study, conducted by U.S. and Czech doctors and to be published in the Archives
of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, tracked 1,133 children
from birth to 3 years of age, controlling for factors such as premature
birth and breast-feeding. Of the sample, roughly 10 percent came from houses
that used coal stoves.
Researchers are not certain as to whether the gap is usually recovered later
in childhood, but previous studies on the effects of smoking have
demonstrated that growth gaps can persist into adolescence or even
adulthood.
“Air pollution is not a good thing, whether indoor or outdoor,” Dr. Len
Horovitz, a lung specialist in New York City familiar with the
research, told Reuters.
“Cleaner indoor and outdoor air is a mandate that we have seen coming and
needs to be addressed.”
The World Health Organization estimates that 1.6 million people die each
year because of indoor air pollution. It says that roughly half the world’s
population burns coal, dung, wood or crop wastes for heating or cooking. |
